


Worst Day Ever

by Serani



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anal Sex, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Humor, M/M, Oral Sex, Orgasm, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-10
Updated: 2012-08-09
Packaged: 2017-11-11 19:37:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/482152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serani/pseuds/Serani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka just wants to be left alone at the hot springs to deal with Valentine's Day - the worst day of the year for him. WHY can't *he* leave him alone? Why must he be tormented - and by *him*?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Iruka and Kakashi belong to Masashi Kishimoto, not me!
> 
> Please note that this story was written a LONG time ago and it is in desperate need of editing for pronouns and epithets, if nothing else. So fair warning that it is not my best work, by a long shot. XD

This was turning out to be  _the_  worse day ever, in Iruka's estimation. He hated this day with a passion as it was. The only day of the year that could turn him into a true raving lunatic. Oh, he flew off the handle plenty, he knew that. He knew just how hot-tempered he was, how easily he rose to the bait.   
  
But most of the time, he could temper it pretty well. Usually, he could contain his reactions to a few well-placed replies, the  _occasional_  shout, simply reject a few extra mission reports or schedule a bit of extra gate duty. Any other time, except this time of year.   
  
This time of year, the whole thing was built up over the course of a couple of weeks, so he couldn't escape it. Most of the time, in point of fact every year except this one, he had a way to deal with it. But not this year, no. The fates had conspired to keep that from happening this year.    
  
And this was on top of the fact that every mission report that got turned in seemed to be extra bad - covered in food stains, blood stains and other unrecognizable matter. They were crumpled into balls - that was Shikamaru's team, folded into a football - Kiba's team, or soaking wet - Kakashi's report. Even Yamato, who usually turned in pristine reports was missing half of the information that was needed. He'd taken the sharpest edge of Iruka's temper, being the unlucky person last in line to turn his in. The poor man had barely escaped the room with his life, looking pale and shaking visibly.   
  
Iruka hated Valentine's Day with a passion - the same passion he poured into his teaching, the same passion he had for so many other things. Because every year, invariably, he was alone for it. Oh, he'd dated over the years, here and there, but somehow it always seemed he'd ended up alone for the day itself and the couple of weeks surrounding it.   
  
Every year, he listened to the other teachers go on about who they'd go out with or who they'd invite. The shinobi rumor mill was rife with discussion over who'd show up at the Kunai with whom and if they'd really leave with them that night. Or whether or not so-and-so would stay together with such-and-such. The rumors were always there, but something about the approaching holiday made them much more prolific.   
  
Then there was the academy. The constant love notes being passed by his students to the point that none of them would concentrate on a lesson. There were blushes and looks passed from the minute they walked in until they left again. The girls couldn't talk about anything  _but_  which boy might give them a card or if they'd get any at all.   
  
To make matters worse, where every other time of the year, Iruka was almost constantly hit on, it dried up like Suna in summer around this time. Not that he accepted most of the men hitting on him, he didn't, knowing what they wanted, but at least they asked him out. Except around that day. So the only cards he ever got were covered in pre-genin handwriting and the scribbled signatures of former students. And it had soured his opinion of the holiday altogether.    
  
Oh he had his suspicions on why it changed then. The rest of the year, he knew that most of the men who asked him out seemed to think they could take him out to dinner once, buy him a few drinks at the Kunai and he'd be willing to go home with them from there and fuck. And that time of year was supposed to be about the _other_  side of dating - the one that was about much more than fucking for a night after drinks.    
  
So several years ago, after the second year of dried up dates, he'd come up with a tactic for dealing with the ridiculous day. He spent extra money, reserving it way in advance, and took up a whole private room to himself at the hot springs. He splurged on over-priced food, spent the whole evening pampering himself away from all the other crap. It was the ability to look forward to that which helped him get through.   
  
And then it happened. He'd escaped the academy that day and it's ridiculous piles of pink and red with only a minimal amount of fuss from his students. He loved them, he really did, but this was one day he didn't want to be hung on and talked at by them.   
  
Of course, after being told what he had just been told, he almost wished he was back with them. "What?"   
  
"I'm sorry, Umino-san, but there is no record of your reservation." The clerk frowned at the appointment book in front of her.   
  
"There has to be a mistake. I've reserved the same room every year for the last several years. It's paid for,  _in advance_  by me, the reservation made  _in advance_  by me with plenty of  _advance_  notice." Iruka congratulated himself on the patience he was displaying and his calm tone of voice. He  _wanted_  to scream and shout.    
  
"I understand that and I thought it seemed odd to not see your name, but I thought, perhaps, that you had a reason for not wanting a reservation this year." She blushed at that and Iruka groaned quietly to himself. It was obvious they knew why he was there. By himself. Every year.   
  
"Well, obviously I did want a reservation. I paid for it, it should be there. Check again. Room seven."   
  
"I'm sorry, but there's another name there."   
  
Iruka closed his eyes, willing himself to keep his patience. He knew for a fact he'd made the reservation. Which meant it had been changed. "Who changed it?"   
  
"I'm sorry?" The clerk looked up, puzzled.   
  
"Someone must have changed the reservation. Who changed it? Was I, perhaps, moved to a different room?" He liked that particular room, liked the spring it was attached to, the fact that it was as far away from everyone as he could get. But he could deal with a different room, as long as he got  _one_ .   
  
"As far as I know, no one has access to this book except for me and my husband. He would not have changed it for any reason that I know of. And I'm afraid I don't see your name anywhere else." She looked genuinely upset.   
  
Iruka rubbed at the scar over his nose, a sure sign that his ire was about to be let out. She probably  _was_  afraid. He knew his temper at this time of year was legendary. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Then you'll have to just put me somewhere."   
  
She swallowed hard and her color drained a little more. The poor woman looked damned near dead. "I… um…" she stuttered.   
  
He raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling he knew what she was going to say.   
  
"Um, we, um, I'm mean… that is… " her mouth opened and closed a few more times. "What I'm trying to say is…" Her mouth flapped a couple more times with no more sound coming out, then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell over.   
  
This could not be happening to him. He put his head down onto the counter and banged it once, before sighing. He went around and squatted over the unconscious clerk. He tapped her face gently, then shook her shoulder. She finally opened her eyes, widening them when she looked up at him. He held a hand out in entreaty. "I'm not going to yell," he started calmly. "I'm guessing you were going to tell me that you have no private rooms available."   
  
She shook her head hard to clear it and sat up, then nodded unhappily. "My apologies, Umino-san. I really do not know how we can make this up to you. We will be very glad to give you a free room for two nights any other time."   
  
He held his hand out and helped her to her feet, then waved at her. "It's okay." He sighed and rubbed at his scar again.    
  
"Mah, is something the matter, Iruka-san?"   
  
Oh God, not  _him._ Iruka could probably put up with just about  _anyone_  but him in that moment. He counted slowly to ten, but the vein in his temple was still throbbing in anticipation of the annoyance he knew he was about to feel. "No, of course not, Kakashi-san, why do you ask?"   
  
"Because you look as if you are about to rub your poor nose right off of your face."   
  
Iruka turned to see the single visible eye curved in amusement. He swallowed hard and tamped down on his burgeoning temper. He reached up and rubbed gently at his temple again, feeling a small headache start to grow. "I'm fine, Kakashi-san." He turned to the clerk. "I'll take a regular basket, thank you and we can work out my alternative reservation at another time." He mentally patted himself on the back for his calm tone of voice.   
  
"Did something happen to your reservation, Iruka-san?" Kakashi asked and Iruka forced himself to turn from the clerk.   
  
"Yes. I had one, it's no longer here. I'll be taking time in the public spring, instead. Good evening, Kakashi-san." Iruka picked up the basket, nodded to the clerk and turned toward the showers and dressing rooms.   
  
"Good evening, Hatake-san. Here is your key. Room seven. I hope you enjoy your stay with us." The clerk's relieved voice floated to him.   
  
Iruka had taken only a few steps when he heard that, and stopped.  _He'd_  taken room seven? How… but no, no, it didn't matter. He could still salvage some relaxation, even if it was the public spring. He took a deep breath, slowly in and out, then another. Calmer, he continued down the hallway.    
  
"Iruka-san?" _  
  
Why_  did he follow him? The private baths were on the other end of the building. He turned slowly around. "Yes, Kakashi-san?"    
  
"You know, I am the only one in the room. It would be a shame for you to be forced to go to the large spring when you should have had a private room. Why not share mine?"   
  
Oh,  _that_  was likely to be relaxing. Sure. The man had a sixth sense for how to annoy him. He knew  _exactly_  which buttons to push to send him into a temper, like it was some sort of instinct with him. It only served to annoy Iruka further that he was attracted to the ass.  _Very_  attracted. To both the literal and figurative versions.   
  
"Really, I wouldn't want to impose, Kakashi-san. The public spring is fine." He started to turn around.   
  
"Well, if you're afraid to be alone with me."   
  
Damn the man. He  _knew_ what would piss him off the most. He grit his teeth, counting, again, though he got all the way to fifteen without feeling a difference. He gave up and turned back. "Why would I be afraid to be alone with you? I said I didn't want to impose and that's what I meant. Good evening, Hatake-san." He said, biting off the family name and spinning around to continue his way.   
  
"Because you're attracted to me."    
  
"You son of… you… you… bastard!" Iruka sputtered and spun back around, momentarily at a loss for words. "That's some nerve! I wouldn't be attracted to you if you were the last person on earth, man or woman! You are a cocky, lazy, aloof, insensitive, perverted asshole!" He spun back around and marched toward the showers, fueled by the grin he could tell was lurking under that ridiculous cloth mask.   
  
"Did I hit a nerve, Iruka-san?"    
  
Iruka didn't answer. Instead, he launched a shuriken in the direction of the voice, knowing it would be dodged. He heard the thunk as it embedded itself into the wooden wall, leaving a deep gash alongside several others that the ninja who frequented the hot spring had obviously made before him.   
  
"Hmm. I must have." Kakashi mused. "Am I really that detestable that you'd prefer to bathe with several strange men than me?"   
  
"Yes," Iruka said, stripping his vest off and folding it with precise movements, holding onto his temper carefully. His temple pulsed in again.   
  
The copy nin's lips twitched in response. "I see. Is it because you can't stand being attracted to me? Or is it just that you can't trust yourself to be left alone with my naked body? Are you afraid you wouldn't be able to keep from attacking me?"   
  
Because that's exactly what he was afraid of, he pulled a kunai this time and launched it instead. The copy nin caught this one, then threaded his forefinger through the hole at the end and started spinning it around his finger. He let a chuckle escape, earning another shuriken for it which he, of course, dodged again.   
  
Iruka concentrated on removing the bandages from the bottom of his legs, trying to ignore the annoying man next to him. He wrapped them into a ball and laid them on top of his vest, pulled his headband off, then removed the shuriken holder, keeping it within reach.    
  
"You really don't need weaponry to deal with me, Iruka-san." Kakashi said, stepping closer.   
  
Iruka glared up at him. "Obviously I do, since your perverted brain can't seem to take a hint. Get lost."   
  
Infuriatingly, he just laughed, taking another half step closer to the younger man.   
  
Iruka turned his back on him and stripped his shirt off, trying to pretend the silver-haired man wasn't hovering so damned close by. He folded it, stacked it with his other clothes, then stopped. He really  _didn't_  want to finish undressing in front of this man. Especially since he was partially aroused simply from his proximity to the copy nin and he didn't want to give the pervert any ideas. Or, at least, give away his feelings at all.   
  
He turned around and glared at him. "Did you really want something? Or were you just here to annoy me?"   
  
"I was  _trying_  to share my spring with you. In case you haven't noticed, it's rather busy out there." Kakashi pointed through the doorway, where Iruka could clearly see that the public spring was, in fact, rather crowded.    
  
Iruka clenched his jaw, the muscles twitching as he could see just how accurate the assessment was. He took a deep breath, then two. It was, in fact, quite a bit busier than he'd anticipated. He glared up at the other man. "If I share your spring, will you leave me alone?"   
  
Kakashi affected a hurt look. "Of course I will."   
  
Iruka snorted. "Right." He shook his head. "Never mind. I'll take my chances." He turned around and, gritting his teeth, unbuttoned his pants, then pushed them and his underwear over his hips. He snatched up a towel, wrapping it around himself quickly, hoping against hope that the other man hadn't seen his erection, which was only getting worse by the moment. How could he possibly get  _this_ aroused while he was so angry with the man?   
  
He tucked the end of the towel in, then stacked his clothing carefully in the basket before putting it on the shelf. He grabbed the smaller towel for his head, yanked the hair tie out of his hair and headed into the showers, all the time trying to ignore the copy nin, who'd been watching the whole thing in silence.   
  
Irritated, again, he stopped and glanced over at him. He was leaning casually against the set of shelves, but the look in his eye was  _not_  casual. It was… appraising and Iruka blushed hotly at it, the color spreading quickly from the scar over his nose outward. He'd always been self conscious about his scars, especially the large one on his back, but he'd never been looked at quite that way before.   
  
He blinked up at the copy nin. "Did…" he cleared his throat. "Did you need something?"   
  
"Oh yes," Kakashi said softly and the tone of voice went straight to Iruka's cock.    
  
He swallowed hard and raised an eyebrow, waiting. "Oh? What's that?"   
  
Kakashi's eyes moved from what Iruka could have sworn was his ass back up to his face. "There really isn't a reason to stay out here, you know." He stood up from the shelves and took a half step closer.   
  
"I can think of a few," Iruka managed. "Including the fact that you seem to have a sixth sense for how to annoy me."   
  
Kakashi chuckled. "What if I promise to try not to?'   
  
The younger man blinked. Why was he trying so hard to get him in there? He swallowed, trying to moisten his suddenly dry throat. It couldn't be that the copy nin was actually interested in him. No, he didn't think that was it. So… No, no, he wasn't thinking about it. Wasn't! Absolutely not! He swallowed again. "Okay."    
  
He knew, the second he saw the reaction in the visible eye that he was going to regret this. Probably for a very, very long time.   
  
  
It was only by the virtue of years of maintaining his aloof appearance that he didn't give away more of his glee at the response than a slight widening of his eye. He'd called in nearly every favor he was owed, had paid quite a bit of money and spent months planning this. And he'd almost had it blow up on him anyway, just because he couldn't resist baiting the man. He was just so  _adorable_  when he got angry or flustered and his face turned that incredible shade of red.   
  
He  _had_  tried to ask the teacher out once. Unfortunately, by that time, they'd had too long a history between them of him baiting Iruka and the other man flying off the handle in response. He'd been turned down flat, with a good dose of laughter to go with it.   
  
So after he'd learned several months ago of the teacher's Valentine's Day plans, he's started some of his own. He'd called in the help of more than a few of his friends to make this happen and he was going to owe Yamato lunch for a month after what he'd gone through in the mission room. He'd wanted to take  _no_  chances that Iruka wouldn't follow through on his need to relax.    
  
"Good," he managed and turned toward the doorway, holding a hand out. Iruka gave him a suspicious look, but pulled his basket of clothes off of the shelf and preceded him through the doorway. Kakashi held out the key. "Go ahead and take the shower first. I need to stop and order dinner. Would you like some?"   
  
Iruka raised an eyebrow, but then accepted the key and nodded. "Sure. Thank you."   
  
At Kakashi's raised eyebrow, he said, "oh, um, just… what… whatever you are."   
  
Kakashi nodded and paused at the counter while Iruka continued down the hall. After he'd stepped into the room at the end, the copy nin turned to the clerk. She winked at him, and said with a grin, "I take it that it worked?"   
  
Kakashi smiled back and leaned on the counter. "So far, yes Tanaka-san. Thank you  _very_  much. I promise that I will more than make it up to you for all you have done. Send in dinner for two, the sake and the oils, if you please." He dropped a kiss on her hand through the mask and she blushed bright red.   
  
"Oh, Hatake-san, Umino-san is a lucky man!" She giggled at him, blushing.   
  
"I think I'm the luckier one. Or, will be, as long as he doesn't kill me." Kakashi said, standing. He figured he'd dawdled enough and Iruka had enough time to shower and get into the spring by now. He hadn't needed the sharingan to see the man's arousal, which had surprised him as he'd been sure the whole thing, so far, had been one sided. So, he wanted to give the other man a chance to get into the small pool and get comfortable before he went in. "Thank you again, Tanaka-san." He said, bowing over her hand.   
  
"You're welcome!" She waved as he headed down the hallway.   
  
He stepped into the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He'd never actually been in this room before. He'd chosen it because the proprietors had told him it was Iruka's favorite room. Apparently, because it was the most isolated. This would work out well in his favor, if things went the way he hoped.    
  
He could see through the doorway that Iruka was already in the spring. He glanced around the room to see the large futon that took up a large portion of the room with the low table and cushions next to it. On the opposite wall was a beautiful wide dresser with a big mirror over that. To his left was a long, deep bench for dressing and to his right, the doorway to the bathroom.    
  
He glanced once more at Iruka and saw him leaning back against the side of the pool, the small towel on his head, his eyes closed. Kakashi made quick work of removing his clothes and hitae-ate, then slipped quietly into the shower. Anxious to get out to the spring, he cleaned up swiftly, then wrapped the towel around him. He wrapped a smaller towel around his face, then grabbed another small towel for his head and started for the doorway.   
  
He paused on the threshold, staring at the man that had annoyed, confused frustrated, and, he'd admit, fascinated him for the better part of a year. Oh, he'd known him for much, much longer than that. But he'd been too preoccupied by other parts of life to think too much about relationships.    
  
Well, to be fair, he'd pushed them aside and flat out ignored relationships. It wasn't until he'd started teaching, then teaming up with Naruto that he'd been forced to question that. He'd watched the kid change person after person on mission after mission. He'd seen for himself the things that the blond had been able to do without ever raising a fist or kunai to the other person, seen the bonds he'd formed.   
  
And he'd found himself wondering if he'd been right all those years to ignore that side of his life. Then they'd  _had_ to concentrate on other things - fighting the war, rebuilding the village, but those were behind them now and things were back to a relative state of normalcy and had been for almost a year. And that's when he'd started running into Iruka more often.   
  
Being back to regular missions meant regular trips to the mission office. As the jounin captain, he often had to turn the mission reports in, which forced him into contact with the younger man. He couldn't point to an exact moment that made him pay more attention to Iruka. But he remembered that somewhere along the way, he started doing poorly on his reports on purpose. Misspellings, food stains, that sort of thing. Before then, he just really hadn't cared that much about it, it was habit more than anything.   
  
But when he knew that it got to the other man, it was irresistible, especially when his face turned red, he rubbed at his scar and looked ready to kill. He suspected that it was only by virtue of the fact that he was a fellow shinobi from the Leaf and not an enemy ninja that kept him from actually following through on his murderous urge. He had no doubt that if Iruka was truly backed into a corner, the unfortunate person doing the backing would not walk away from the encounter. He was, in short, a fascinating complicated contradiction that Kakashi just  _had_  to figure out.   
  
He was so adorable when he got mad. The fire that shot from those chocolate brown eyes was just too much of a draw, so of course, he'd done everything he could to get him to look like that again. "Are you going to come into the water or just stand there in the doorway and stare at me?" The object of his thoughts asked him.   
  
He shook his head, pulling himself out of his reverie. "Is that a problem?"   
  
"You mean besides being unnerving?"   
  
Kakashi chuckled. "I would never dream of trying to unnerve you." That was answered with a snort. He went through the door and pulled the towel off as he stepped down into the hot water, settling next to the younger man.   
  
"There's an entire spring here. You don't have to sit that close," Iruka said, keeping his eyes closed.   
  
"It's comfortable here. I like this spot on the rock." Kakashi caught the headshake and smirk as he closed his eyes and tried to keep himself from getting too aroused at the teacher's proximity. He felt like some teenage kid again, getting worked up just because he was near a cute guy.    
  
Iruka shifted away a little bit and he fought the urge to put his arm around him and drag him closer. All he  _wanted_  to do was attack the man. To start kissing, nibbling, and sucking on that tan skin. He forced himself to shift his thinking or he'd end up embarrassing himself when they got out of the water for dinner.   
  
But he smelled  _good._  His hair was close enough to catch a hint of the citrus shampoo he used. Then there was his cologne. Kakashi couldn't place it, but it was slightly spicy and did nothing to calm his raging need. As he glanced over again, he could see the pulse jump just under the skin at his neck.   
  
He turned his head and closed his eyes again, working to relax his muscles. He concentrated on each group, starting down at his feet and working his way up his body. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't completely ignore the other man.   
  
"Is something wrong?" Iruka asked him into the silence, his eyes still closed.   
  
"Excuse me?" Kakashi sat up and looked over at him.   
  
"Is something wrong?" Iruka asked again and opened those damning chocolate eyes.   
  
Kakashi blinked at him. "Why do you ask?"   
  
"Because we've been sitting here for the better part of ten minutes and you haven't tried to annoy me once."   
  
"I promised to try not to, didn't I?" Kakashi asked, genuinely perplexed.   
  
"Yes, but I didn't actually expect you to go through with it." Iruka closed his eyes again and rested his head back on the side of the spring.   
  
"Hm," was all the copy nin could think of to reply to that. He could think of a lot of things he'd like to do to the other man, none of which would probably qualify as ways of  _not_  annoying him. Or, at least, they'd be viewed that way from the beginning. He  _hoped_ that his skill was such that it wouldn't still be annoying after they started. But nothing about the man next to him had been normal since he'd started noticing him, even all those years ago before Naruto's first chuunin exams. "Would you prefer I try to annoy you?"   
  
"Of course not!" He said with an irritated tone. "Why would I want you to annoy me? Just because it's normal and this isn't normal for you."   
  
Kakashi couldn't hold in the snicker. "I'll have you know that most people don't find me annoying. Or irritating. Or an asshole. What was the other part?"   
  
"Cocky, lazy, aloof, insensitive, and perverted." Iruka said, with a sigh.   
  
"That's a little scary." Kakashi said and Iruka opened one eye, raising its brow. "The recall."   
  
"Ah." He closed his eye again. "It comes in handy when I have to write up behavior reports on my students."   
  
Kakashi chuckled. "I can believe that." He shuffled a little closer to the other man, staring again at the pulse point he was having such a ridiculously hard time keeping his lips off of.    
  
Iruka opened his eyes and looked over at him again. Their gazes met for a moment, neither saying anything, the steam rising, curling the soft brown hair around the younger man's face. Kakashi shifted slightly, turning more toward him to look at him just a little better. He didn't remember leaning in, he was, in fact, quite sure he hadn't, but before he knew it, he was  _right there_ .    
  
He reached up and pulled the towel down from around his face and to Iruka's credit, the younger man didn't even pause. The copy nin closed the last tiny distance, pausing once more, to look from the other man's eyes to his lips and back again. They hung there, neither quite willing to move that itty bitty distance. Neither man could seem to breathe, and Kakashi's thought processes had stuttered to a complete halt.   
  
  
Iruka stared into the mismatched eyes, convinced he was dreaming. This could  _not_ be happening. He was either dreaming or in a genjutsu, he couldn't decide which. Because it simply wasn't possible that the biggest pain in his ass, his biggest attraction, was sitting less than a breath away from his lips,  _almost_  kissing him. Certainly not today, on the absolute worst day of the year.   
  
He watched the copy nin's eyes dart from his own down to his mouth and back up again, and he felt the shudder of breath leave his body. It stunned the younger man.  _Kakashi was nervous?_  It  _had_  to be a dream now. No  _way_  was this possible otherwise.    
  
He had no idea how long they stayed like that, hovering just a hairs breadth away from each other. He had no idea how long they  _would_  have stayed that way before he, himself, got frustrated and either kissed him or pushed him away. Because right at that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Room service!"   
  
It so surprised them that Iruka jumped. Right  _into_  Kakashi's mouth, closing the distance anyway. So their first kiss was a complete surprise. Their eyes were wide open, staring into the other's, their lips simply touching, nothing else. Then Iruka's slid closed, he felt the copy nin's arms slide around him and pull him closer.    
  
Kakashi brushed his lips across the other man's, softly, gently. It wasn't even a full kiss, more like a promise of a kiss, the hint of more to come. It was enough, however, to cause the arousal Iruka had managed to tame earlier come back with a vengeance. He was glad there was still space between them in the spring.   
  
So when the person in the hallway knocked again and they broke apart, he flushed, his face turning bright red. He had  _no_  idea what to do with this. He'd never expected anything like  _this_ . To be annoyed, to have his buttons pushed, yes. But not… this.   
  
Was he teasing him? Playing with him? Kakashi didn't  _seem_  like that type. For all that he  _was_ , nothing Iruka had seen so far would lead him to believe that he'd toy with someone quite like that.   
  
But then again, Kakashi had no idea how he felt, either. He had no idea that he'd been attracted to him for a while, especially the last several months. When he'd asked him out, that's exactly what he'd thought the other man was doing. It wasn't until Genma had told him that he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the copy nin actually  _date_  that Iruka had realized his blunder.   
  
He had no illusions that the man was completely celibate any more than he had been. They all needed the sexual outlets after a while, especially after bad missions. And sometimes even after the good ones, too. The phrase "mission sex" existed for a reason. But there was a world of difference between releasing sexual tension and dating or having a steady relationship. And Genma had been quite sure he hadn't seen Kakashi in one in years. Then he'd paused to say he wasn't sure if he'd  _ever_  seen him in one, which had  _really_  surprised Iruka. Surely he'd had  _some_ relationship.   
  
So he'd asked, in what he'd hoped was a discreet manner. And no one that had known him - mostly the older jounin - could remember one. If he hadn't been so confused by the whole thing, he might have realized that, given what he  _knew_ of the man's history - and thanks to his position in the mission office, he knew more than most - it shouldn't have been much of a surprise.   
  
So maybe he just figured they could have some friendly sex. Both were obviously not with anyone else for the night, neither seemed in a hurry to get anywhere. That was possible. But the truth was, that's not what it  _felt_  like.    
  
He hadn't even realized that Kakashi liked men, though that also wasn't really a surprise. A lot of the elite shinobi were, at least, bisexual. Something about finding it hard to find someone willing to trust a person who could kill you with little more than a look. Iruka could understand that. He'd seen plenty of them come in after missions, that dead look to their eye, the slightly  _off_  feeling about them. One sure-fire way to clear that look was sex, but not many people could open themselves to that, even other shinobi. So they often took what they could get - regardless of the gender of the other person.   
  
"Excuse me. I'll… get that." Kakashi said, clearing his throat and bringing Iruka back to the present. He shifted in the water to stand up. Iruka stayed where he was, not turning, to give the man a chance to pull his towel around him. He swallowed hard.    
  
So if he wasn't playing, then there were only two possibilities. He either liked Iruka, as hard as that was for the teacher to believe, or he was looking for friendly sex. And if Iruka couldn't believe the former, could he handle the latter? He just didn't know.


	2. Chapter 2

He listened for Kakashi to pad into the room and for the door to open. He heard the quiet conversation as the server brought their food and such into the room. He turned around to see the young man bow, watch Kakashi tip him and the server leave.    
  
He took the opportunity while the copy nin's back was turned to climb out of the pool and wrap the towel around his hips, trying to adjust himself enough so the towel didn't tent horribly. It wasn't too bad and he figured he could just get into the room and sit down. It would have plenty of time to calm down while they ate.   
  
He didn't  _quite_  make it all the way to the table, but either the older man was being courteous and simply not looking or it wasn't as bad as he feared. They took cushions on either side of the table and Iruka looked at the meal for the first time. He saw with pleasure that it was sushi. Not his favorite, but it came in a close second.   
  
"Thank you," Iruka said quietly, not sure how to take the Kakashi sitting across from him.    
  
"You're welcome." Iruka could hear the smile in his voice and looked up to see that the towel that had been around his face to greet the server was gone. Despite himself, he couldn't help but look. He managed to keep a tight rein on his reaction because the man was handsome. Very handsome. Downright gorgeous, in fact. There was a narrow, strong chin with pale lips that were neither too full nor too thin. Above them were sharp cheekbones and a pretty basic, straight nose. Individually, they were nothing to remark about, but put together, they made for the kind of face that Iruka had to force his gaze away from lest he find himself actually drooling. It didn't help that he knew how kissable those lips were, how they felt on his own. And thinking about it, he blushed again.   
  
He looked back at the table and, glancing once more at the other man, picked up his chopsticks. Kakashi set a bottle of the sake and it's matching cup in front of him, then settled himself on the other cushion. Iruka concentrated on preparing his rolls and lifted one to his mouth. That's when he noticed the other man watching him. "What?" He asked, eyebrows raised, the roll hovering a few centimeters from his lips.   
  
"I was just wondering what kind that was."   
  
Iruka blinked at him. "Oh, um, salmon."   
  
"Ah. May I try one?" The younger man glanced at his plate, realizing he'd taken most of them. Blushing, he held the one he was about to eat out toward the other man.    
  
He'd expected him to reach out with his own set of chopsticks and take it, but instead he leaned forward, his mouth opened. Iruka's eyes widened and he swallowed. It was a lot more intimate to actually  _feed_  him. But then again, they'd already kissed, hadn't they? Their eyes glued to each other's, he extended his arm the short distance and put the roll in the other man's mouth. It was ridiculous, he was just giving the man a piece of sushi, but his heart was pounding and he was short of breath.    
  
He watched Kakashi chew on it with a thoughtful look on his face. And then the wasabi hit him. His nose turned red, the color spreading and he grabbed the sake. He quickly poured a cup, then knocked his back. "Good... wasabi..." he choked and Iruka laughed.   
  
"It's not good sushi unless the wasabi makes you want to pound the table," he said, then picked up another roll and popped it into his own mouth. And proceeded to go through the same thing Kakashi just did.   
  
"Well, then, here's to good wasabi," the copy nin said, holding up another cup.   
  
When Iruka could breathe, he picked up his own sake bottle, poured his small cup full and held it up. "Good wasabi!"   
  
They both chuckled. "I think this deserves another," he said, indicating their drinks. "Here's to good sake for clearing up the good wasabi." Iruka laughed again, holding his cup up once more before downing the second drink. The tension eased, then, and Kakashi smiled. Iruka worked to keep from staring, concentrating instead on his food for a few minutes.    
  
He glanced up to see the other man simply eating, occasionally looking up but otherwise just being… normal. It surprised Iruka a little, that they could sit and just eat a meal like this and that he was actually enjoying himself. He hadn't tried to bait him once since they'd gotten to the room and it threw him off balance. He didn't like being off balance, but he was certainly not going to pick a fight.   
  
They ate in a not-uncomfortable silence a few moments, both simply concerned with their food. Iruka glanced up just in time to see Kakashi pick up another piece. He licked his lips, swallowed and took a deep breath. "What kind is that?" He asked and cursed himself for sounding breathless.   
  
"Shrimp. Would you like one?" The other man asked and Iruka nodded, just barely. He tightened his grip on his chopstick as Kakashi leaned forward with it. His nerves deserted him at the last second, however and he lifted his own chopsticks.   
  
Of course, Kakashi couldn't let that go. He pulled it back as Iruka reached for it, so the younger man swallowed again, then opened his mouth. It seemed to take forever for the copy nin to close that tiny distance, their gazes locked to each other. Finally, he put it in Iruka's mouth and he closed his lips around it. As the chopsticks were pulled gently out, the younger grabbed them between his lips with just the slightest pressure, but there was no mistake what he was doing with it.   
  
Kakashi leaned forward over the table, not pulling any more on the utensils. The teacher's eyes widened slightly at the intent that was clear on the other man's face. He released the chopsticks that were still between his lips and Kakashi withdrew them, dropping them onto the table. His hand came up and touched Iruka on the side of the face, the fingertips sliding along his cheek to cup the back of his head, pulling him just that little bit closer.   
  
Iruka couldn't seem to move, he wanted,  _needed_  to chew the damned piece of food in his mouth, but couldn't bring his body to do a single thing he kept trying to tell it to do. All he could seem to do was stare at this man in front of him, the one that had tormented and tortured him for so long. The one he was insanely attracted to. He was barely two centimeters from his face now, just like they'd been in the spring. "You should probably chew and swallow that," Kakashi said softly.   
  
It spurred him into action. He'd started  _this_ . He knew it. He knew what would happen if he asked about the roll on Kakashi's plate and now he had no choice but to follow through. He nearly swallowed the thing whole, but managed in time to chew it thoroughly enough to not choke. Thankfully, he'd gotten used to the wasabi enough that it didn't bother him so much now.   
  
Kakashi waited patiently there, but as soon as Iruka finished swallowing, his lips were on the other man's, their eyes sliding closed. And holy God, the brush of mouths back out in the springs was nothing compared to this! The older man put pressure behind it this time, moving his lips to nibble on the ones under his.    
  
Iruka could do nothing  _but_  respond. His chopsticks clattered to the table and his hands came up to either side of the copy nin's face. He pulled back, very briefly, to gasp in air, then he, himself, closed the distance again. It wasn't a deep kiss, just nips, nibbles, and yet again the brush of lips on lips.    
  
But it was the kind of kiss that stole the breath completely, left both of them stunned. When Iruka pulled back again, they hung there, almost as if they were sort of floating in mid-air, both of them so focused on the other that they'd forgotten about the food, about where they were, that there was even a table between them. It was just them.   
  
Iruka couldn't remember  _ever_ experiencing a kiss like that before. He stared at Kakashi, his eyes focused on the mismatched ones staring back at him. And he realized that  _both_  eyes were open. The younger man couldn't quite grasp what he was looking at with the sharingan eye, but he was a little afraid to know, too.    
  
Kakashi released him and leaned back, resettling on his cushion and the teacher let his hands drop. He couldn't move, couldn't bring himself to reach out to pick up his chopsticks, could barely breathe, for that matter. They stared at each other another moment, neither willing to speak or be the first to break whatever spell had settled over them.   
  
"Do…" Kakashi cleared his throat. "Are… you still hungry?"   
  
Iruka shook his head, just barely, but the older man got the gist of it. He stood up and came around the table, holding his hand out. Oh God, there was no mistaking the look in his eye. There was no doubt what he wanted and Iruka knew he wanted it, too.    
  
Could he do it? If this was just friendly sex, could he handle that? With him? He still hadn't answered that question, but it looked like he was out of time. He was about to find out.   
  
He put his hand in the copy nin's and stood up. He hadn't been able to tear his gaze away from the mismatched one, but as he got to his feet, he couldn't miss the way the towel hung down, or rather, didn't. He knew his own looked much the same. He swallowed hard as he stood and what breathing he'd been able to do up to that point stuttered in his chest.    
  
He was only a few centimeters away again. Just a tiny distance. He hadn't pulled his hand out of Kakashi's yet, so they just stood there a moment, holding hands and it seemed a little silly how much that simple touch unnerved him. But everything about this man unnerved him, from the way he looked at him to the way he could bait him. Especially how he kissed him. God, how he kissed.   
  
Iruka's eyes darted to those lips then and back up to the other's eyes, the sharingan still open for some reason. Iruka wanted to say something about how he was going to cause himself problems if he used it, but he didn't, the words were stuck in his throat. Instead, he leaned forward, closing those few tiny centimeters and laid his lips over the pale ones in front of him.    
  
It opened something up in the copy nin and he dropped Iruka's hand, pulling him in to his arms. His mouth turned demanding and the gentle kisses were suddenly very much not. Kakashi's lips parted and Iruka felt his tongue trace his bottom lip. He opened to him, unable to  _not_  and any breath he had left deserted him with a shudder when he felt that moist muscle slide along his own.    
  
His hands went up to the other man's face, then made their way up into the silver hair. He responded to the kiss, his own tongue tasting, touching the one in his mouth. Rough hands slid over his back, tracing scars as if they were memorizing the feel of him.    
  
Iruka's own hands buried more firmly in the silver mass, holding him closer as he nibbled and sucked. They pulled apart slightly, a thin strand of saliva stretching between their mouths. They stared again, then crashed back together once more. Iruka leaned into the other man, their bodies close enough that he was quite sure that a single ray of light couldn't have gotten between them.   
  
A quiet moan escaped, though neither was sure from which throat it issued. One of the hands on Iruka's back made its way up into his brown hair, threading his fingers through and this time the sound was obviously from the younger man. Their lips broke apart and his head fell back into the other's palm. The strong hand massaged his scalp and he moaned again, lost to the sensations snaking over his skin.   
  
  
He'd never imagined Iruka would respond to him quite like this. It was intoxicating to feel the other man's body shake slightly, the arousal pressing insistently against his own, the breath stuttering in his chest. Because of the things  _he'd_  done.   
  
None of the casual encounters he'd had over the years could come close to something like this. They'd been quick, efficient fucking, the satisfaction of the bodies needs. They'd relieved tension, cleared his focus, but nothing had felt like this. He'd done nothing more than kiss this man and he was damned near insane already.   
  
He watched the tanned face, the eyes closed as he enjoyed the simple feel of his head being rubbed, his hair being played with. But Kakashi couldn't let those lips go for long. He needed to taste them again, needed to feel them on his. He bent to him, his mouth capturing the other's once more. He turned them, backing him up to the bed.   
  
The hands in his hair tightened just briefly, then those incredible chocolate eyes opened and he broke off the kiss. Never breaking eye contact, Iruka let go of his hair, then sat on the bed and laid back. Kakashi could have sworn time slowed down, it looked like he was moving in slow motion. Iruka grabbed the older man's hand and pulled on it.    
  
He wasted no time following him down. He stretched out alongside the other man, not quite ready to take the next step and settle  _on_  him. But this, just the skin to skin contact was enough for now. The thick towels were still between them and that was okay. Kakashi was afraid that too  _much_  contact might just cause things to end way too quickly. He leaned up over the younger man and looked down at him.   
  
But instead of going straight to his lips, he paused, memorizing the face. He knew what he'd be thinking of when he was home alone and frustrated, what he'd use to help him rid himself of his frustration. Because he also had a feeling that after that night, the same casual encounters he'd sought out in the past weren't likely to satisfy quite the way they had before. And he had no idea what might happen with Iruka after that night.   
  
But he didn't want to think about that. He'd been lusting after this man for a long time and he didn't want to waste what time he did have with him thinking. He could think later, he wanted to  _feel_  now. He bent his head again and went back to tasting. There was the wasabi and the sake, the sushi, but under it something else. It was sweet, but somehow he didn't mind this sweetness. Because it was Iruka.   
  
He let out a quiet moan of his own when the other man's tongue met his. They battled, warred, fought to taste more, touch more, feel more. They pulled back and nibbled and nipped, then the kiss deepened again. Iruka's hands made their way up Kakashi's back pausing now and again to trace a scar or feel a muscle before continuing their journey.    
  
When they made it to his shoulders, Iruka wrapped his arm up along the copy nin's back and pulled him down sharply until he was literally laying  _on_  the other man. He wasn't going to complain, the more he could feel, the happier he was. That rough hand slid back down his skin until it got to his waist, where it paused.    
  
While their lips continued their battle, his fingertips moved across his back at his waist, right above where the towel lay. It had loosened when he laid down, but it was still in place, albeit precariously. Kakashi pulled back and stared into the brown eyes again, now filled with as much lust as he was sure showed in his own mismatched ones.    
  
He let the look in his eyes dare the younger man to go further, the first real attempt at baiting him since they got into the room. He twisted his lips into a slight smirk which spread into a grin when the hand moved. But instead of sliding  _over_  the towel, like he thought the hand would, it went  _under_ , along his bare skin stopping only when he could cup the cheek under his palm.    
  
He couldn't cover the surprise completely at it and Iruka gave in to the smirk in response. He moved his hand slowly over Kakashi's ass and the older man couldn't hold in the moan at the contact. Geez, he'd gone way too long without sex for that to make him so crazy. At least, that's what he was going to admit to. It couldn't just be because of who the hand belonged to. He wasn't  _that_  bad off for the teacher. Attracted, fascinated, lusting after, yes. But that was as far as Kakashi was willing to admit to.   
  
It was time for some retaliation. He leaned up away from the younger man and ran his hand up over the muscled chest under him. He took his time, dragging his fingers slowly over the tanned skin, drawing lazy circles around the navel, feeling the lines of the ribs or the breastbone. He paused to play with a nipple, tracing circles around it with the rough pad of his finger.   
  
This earned him a sharp gasp, Iruka's back arching, pushing his chest into the copy nin's hand more. Kakashi's eyes darted between the rapidly hardening nipple and the incredible expression on the tanned face. He dragged his hand across the chest and gave the other nipple the same kind of attention, making more circles, pinching gently. A moan tore from the younger man's throat and Kakashi could no longer resist the lips.    
  
He captured that mouth once more, his tongue invading, tasting. The hand on the older man's ass squeezed again in response and pulled gently. The copy nin slid one leg between Iruka's and resettled himself more firmly on top of him, grateful again for the layers of terry cloth between them. Even so, their arousals touched and it took a supreme effort to keep from rocking into him.    
  
He wanted this to last, wanting to savor every bit of this night. If the teacher walked away from him, he knew he wouldn't be capable of going after him again. It may mean this was all they'd ever have. And if that were the case, he was going to make damned sure it was the best it could possibly be.    
  
He nipped at the younger man's lips, just a tease before turning his attention to the tanned jaw, slowly making his way toward the ear. He lifted a hand to brush the hair back from it, then bent and traced the shell with his tongue. Another gasp was heard, then he sucked the earlobe into his mouth, tormenting it, as well, earning another squeeze from the hand on his butt. He nuzzled the spot right behind and fought the urge to grin when it pulled a full loud moan from the other man.   
  
He exploited it, dragging his lips over it, teasing it with his tongue until Iruka bucked up into him and he had to fight to keep his head. God, that felt so good, this man felt so good. He closed his eyes and battled his urge to take, to demand. He didn't _want_  to do that. He didn't  _want_  this to be the same hard and fast fucking he was so used to. He wanted slow, he wanted to… no, he wasn't going to think that way. He didn't feel that way about him, right?   
  
He shoved the thoughts aside, grateful for once for the minor distraction from his mind. He abandoned the spot behind the other man's ear and worked his way down over the tanned neck. He dragged his lips over the collarbone, pausing to nip at the edge of it. He lapped at the dip at the base of his neck and then continued up the other side.    
  
The hand on his behind started rubbing, squeezing more insistently. As Kakashi made his way up the other side of Iruka's neck, the other hand on his back slid under the towel to join the first, both of them now teasing his ass. He lost the battle and rocked into him, forced to release the skin in his teeth so that he could let the groan out that needed to escape.   
  
"Ka…ka…" Iruka's breathless attempt at speech only made things worse. He rocked again, burying is face in the tanned neck, trying desperately to find his control. He was  _not_  going to go off yet, he was not going to hurry this if it killed him. And it just might. "God, Kakashi-s…"   
  
"Just Kakashi," he managed. " _Please…_ " He had no idea if he was begging for the familiar form of his name or something else, something more indefinable.    
  
In an attempt to keep from bucking into him again, he lifted himself up and started kissing his way down over that incredible chest. He took his time, tasting anything he could reach. He started at the collarbone again, down over the shoulders, then back to the center.    
  
Iruka was forced to let go of Kakashi's butt, so he pushed them back up over his back, to thread one through the silver locks. The copy nin caught the other one, their fingers threading and pinned it up next to the younger man's head. Kakashi's other hand slid slowly down the Iruka's side, teasing the skin there just as he took one nipple into his mouth.   
  
"Kakashi!" Oh God, his name in that voice. Not in anger for once, no honorific. No, this time it was lust, need and want he heard attached to his name. He nipped harder at the nipple than he meant to, but the only response from the other man was another moan.    
  
  
Iruka had never experienced anything like this before. Staying close to the village, for the most part, meant that he didn't have the same exposure to "mission sex" as some of the other shinobi did. Oh, he'd participated in it, but since missions for him were fairly rare, the sex sometimes attached to them was even more so. As he'd reminded himself earlier, however, he was far from celibate. He'd had his share of casual sex, and that right there was the key - casual. This wasn't casual. As much as he might like to think it was, there was a lot more going on here than a session of friendly sex.   
  
At least for him. He refused to put a real name to it, wouldn't allow himself to think like that. If Kakashi wanted to get up when it was over, walk away and perhaps pretend it didn't happen, well… well, it wouldn't be easy, but he'd deal with it. He certainly wouldn't humiliate himself asking for anything more.   
  
But now, right now, all he could really concentrate on was those hands and lips and the things they were doing to him. He wanted to do, to give, but at the moment he was so damned overwhelmed, he couldn't think straight enough to do anything about it. When those teeth bit down on his nipple, he'd nearly gone completely insane.    
  
Kakashi let go of the nipple and Iruka stared at the ceiling above him, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. Those incredible lips moved over to the other nipple, torturing it as he had the first one, dragging another loud moan out of the younger man. He tried to lift one of his legs to wrap it around the copy nin's, but he was held down by his towel.    
  
So instead, he took his free hand and brought it down to the one around Kakashi. He tugged at it, but it was apparently pinned between them. The copy nin leaned up and Iruka looked into the mismatched eyes. "Need something?" The older man asked, and the teacher thought amusement and lust were fighting for control of the voice.   
  
All Iruka could manage was one word."Naked."   
  
Kakashi's lips slowly stretched into a smile and, after dropping a kiss onto the younger man's lips, he stood up. Brown eyes watched him go over to the bench by the door and select a bottle from a tray he hadn't noticed earlier. He came back, tossing it onto the bed next to him, then untucked the towel and let it drop.    
  
Iruka sucked in a breath at the sight. God, the man was magnificent. He'd known it from him being up against him, could feel it, but to  _see_  it. All lean muscle and that cock. Oh God, that cock, rock hard and already leaking. He couldn't force his eyes away from it. Iruka's ass twitched at the thought of having that buried inside of him. He forced his eyes back up to the face that he was still a little amazed to be able to see. His hands fisted in the bedcover, determined to settle himself a little bit.   
  
Kakashi knelt on one knee between Iruka's legs and tugged gently at the towel that was still over the younger man. He unfolded one side, slowly, almost like he was unwrapping a gift. Iruka's eyes watched every motion, every move as he slowly, oh so slowly, pulled the other side away. He saw the flare in the other man's eyes as Iruka's own cock twitched and stood when it was finally freed from the confining fabric.   
  
The mismatched eyes flicked up to his then back down his body again. He leaned down and slowly nibbled a line down from the nipple he'd been torturing last over his belly to his navel. He stopped there, and Iruka never would have thought that someone could torment him so much by tracing circles around it with his tongue, but this man was certainly capable of it. He moaned and moved restlessly on the bed, hands tightening even more in the covers while he continued with the torment.    
  
Those incredible lips finally abandoned his belly button only to find a spot on Iruka's right hip that he never knew was sensitive. Or maybe his whole damned body had become sensitive after all of this. He didn't know, still couldn't think straight. But when the copy nin started torturing it with his lips, then his tongue, he couldn't stop himself from bucking up again.   
  
Kakashi simply put an arm across his hips, carefully avoiding Iruka's cock and held him down. At the rate things were going, he really was going to be insane. He swore every single nerve was alive and sensitive. Everywhere the man touched responded.    
  
He couldn't take it anymore. He pushed his fingers into the gray hair and tugged. Kakashi looked up at him and moved up along his body, slanting his lips across Iruka's again. Using the distraction of the kiss, the younger man hooked one leg around the copy nin's, put a bit of chakra behind him and rolled them.    
  
"My turn," he said, and nipped at the chin when he heard the chuckle. "You don't get to have all the fun." He pinned Kakashi's hands above his head and started with a kiss of his own. He took some time simply tasting the other man, savoring the flavors, the feel of that tongue, learning his mouth.   
  
Then he went to work on his own trail of kisses and nibbles and licks. He fought a grin when he discovered that the copy nin's nipples were especially sensitive and he exploited the knowledge, sucking them until they were hard little nubs and the older man was moaning loudly. He ignored the pleading tone he could hear leaking through and moved further down that incredible body. He traced the edges of the defined muscles with his lips, lapped at the dips, drew his own circles around his navel in the same way the other man had done to him.   
  
He, too, carefully avoided the copy nin's cock, instead focusing on that sensitive line along his abdomen just above the tuft of silver curls. He tormented the crease at the top of his thighs, then finally released the other man so he could make his way down one leg. He took his time, dragging his lips slowly, oh so slowly over the skin, his eyes locked to the other's. Kakashi's hands were gripping his pillow tightly, like he was trying to keep from reaching for something.    
  
He paused when he reached the back of his knee and valiantly fought the grin that threatened when he heard the sharp intake of breath. Instead, he concentrated on teasing it, making him as crazy as he, himself was. He finally moved on, down over one toned calf, then moved to the other leg. He gave it the same careful attention he had to the other, going as slowly as his own sanity allowed as he worked his way up to the crease at the top of the thigh.    
  
But by then it was too much. He desperately needed to taste, to feel the other man's cock. He pulled his hair back, tucking one side behind his ear. Then, his eyes never breaking from the mismatched gaze, he stuck his tongue out and licked, just barely, just lightly at the pre-cum that was sliding slowly down the hard length.   
  
"Holy… Iruka-san…" He bucked up toward the younger man, unable to hold back any longer.   
  
"Just Iruka," he managed, before turning his full attention on the cock in front of him. It was so hard, straining, an angry red. Iruka dragged his tongue along the length, tasting every inch. He memorized every bump, listened attentively to each gasp, each moan. He traced the ridge, lapped up every tiny bit of fluid that leaked, swirled his tongue around the head.   
  
He paused, hovering just off the tip, his mouth open. He looked up at Kakashi's face and saw the sharingan whirling again. Willing to give him something to remember, he slowly descended, keeping his mouth wide, not touching, just teasing. He kept his eyes locked onto the other's gaze and when he got close to engulfing him, he paused.    
  
It must have taking incredible fortitude to stay still and wait. He knew the man had to want to buck up into his mouth, but he didn't. He held back and finally, finally, Iruka gave in. He closed his mouth around the cock, relaxed his throat muscles and swallowed him completely. "FUCK IRUKA!"   
  
Kakashi's hands went to his head as he moved his mouth slowly off of him. He didn't release it completely, instead kept just the tip between his lips before swallowing him again, taking just as much time as he did the first time. It was an incredible feeling to be there and have this kind of freedom to pleasure and touch this man. The trust he was giving, had Iruka the brain power to think it through, would have stunned him.   
  
But he wasn't thinking. His own mind was simply occupied with the taste of the cock in his mouth, the feel of it, the textures. He ran his tongue along it as he moved his lips over it, and when he got to the base, he paused, then swallowed, closing his throat over the head, earning more moans from the man above him. "God, Ruka you're good at that…" _  
  
Ruka._  No one had ever called him that and he found himself thrilling at the idea of being nicknamed by this man. He paused, closing his eyes to savor the sound before going back to what he was doing. But a moment later, Kakashi was tugging at him. " _Please_ , I don't want to finish this yet."   
  
He couldn't argue that. He released it from his mouth and moved up along the incredible body, stretching out alongside him. His lips were met with the other's and he was lost to another of those amazing kisses again. The copy nin's hand slid down along his skin, finally touching his cock and he gasped at the touch. "Oh God…" he moaned. That strong hand stroked him just once and he thought he was going to go insane. He was so incredibly aroused, it wasn't funny. "Ka... oh god, Kashi, please…" He had no idea what he was begging for, no real clue what he wanted except more. More of this man, more of his touch, more of his kisses, just  _more_ …   
  
He got the kiss, the touch as he was slowly stroked again. When they broke apart, he looked up into the other man's eyes. "Please… I…" he swallowed, working to catch his breath enough to speak. "I want you… inside me, please."   
  
The eyes above him flashed and his cock was released. He fought the whine of disappointment at the loss of the touch. Kakashi kissed him once more, then sat back, reaching for the bottle he'd tossed on the bed earlier. He recognized it as the massage oils they provided there. He pulled the top off, then poured some into his hand and set the bottle onto the floor next to him. He rubbed his hands together, warming the oil before carefully coating his fingers with it.   
  
The first touch on his anus nearly made him insane. He bent one leg, the one the copy nin wasn't straddling and pulled it as far to the side as he could. The other man didn't push it in at first, simply massaged the small muscle and Iruka moaned loudly, arching his back a little, trying for more contact.    
  
He finally gave in, pushing his fingertip in, just that tiny bit. Not enough to do anything, not enough for the younger man. "Dammit,  _more_ !"   
  
  
Kakashi chuckled before pushing the finger further into Iruka's straining body. He took his time, though, tormenting the younger man, refusing to give in to the need to speed things up. He pulled it out just as slowly, savoring the tension and lust that was so evident on the expressive tanned face. "Patience," he whispered, pushing it back in again, working the oil around.   
  
Finally he pulled it out completely, listening to the whine from the other man at the loss. He spread more oil around two of his fingers, then started to work them into him. He was tight, extremely tight and that alone was making the copy nin crazy. He could only imagine what it was going to feel like around his cock.   
  
Said member twitched in anticipation and he willed himself to calm down. He concentrated instead on the other man, on giving him pleasure. This, too, was new for him. Oh he'd always made sure his sex partners got off, but he'd never spent so much time simply pleasuring them beforehand. The closest he came to that was the few women he'd been with over the years, making sure they were wet enough to take him. But most of the time, it was simply fucking, make sure the other person got off, then he finished himself.    
  
But now, here, all he  _wanted_  was to give this man pleasure, make him moan and feel him writhe under him. He dropped a kiss on the muscled chest below him as he pushed the two fingers into the other man. He took it slowly, knowing the sensations were incredible. He'd only rarely ever bottomed, but he had a few times and knew what it felt like.    
  
He worked his fingers around, spreading them as he pulled them out, determined to prepare him as much as possible. Kakashi knew he wasn't huge, but he could still too easily hurt this man and he simply was not going to. Iruka's hips started moving, pushing against the invading fingers, trying for that deeper feeling. Kakashi curled them just a little, looking for the bundle of nerves, that slight bump. He knew he'd found it when those incredible brown eyes opened in surprise and the "KASHI!" flew out.   
  
Iruka gripped the pillow under his head harder and Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. He needed to be inside this man, needed to feel that heat surround him. He closed his eyes briefly, fighting for control. He pulled his fingers out, concentrated on coating three of them thoroughly, then worked them into the other man. "God, now, please, I need you," Iruka moaned and Kakashi wondered just how much was behind those words. It sounded like more, like there was meaning behind the 'I need you' that wasn't just about the physical act they were currently involved in.   
  
He didn't want to think about that, though, didn't want to allow himself to go there. So instead, he pulled his fingers out for the last time and reached once more for the bottle. He carefully coated his cock, making sure it was thoroughly covered, then turned back to Iruka.   
  
He'd been watching and the heat in those chocolate depths nearly took his breath away. He shifted over, settling himself between the other man's legs and bent to lay his lips across the other's again. This was softer, just a light kiss, the prelude to the real thing. He pulled back and their eyes met. Iruka's legs came up and wrapped around his waist as he got into position.    
  
He couldn't look away from the other's gaze if he'd tried, not that he wanted to. He pushed against the tight muscle, slowly, carefully making his way into that heat. He had no idea how long it took. It seemed like forever, maybe even hours, though he knew it was probably only a minute or two. Then he finally felt the head pass through the ring of muscle.    
  
He paused, working to control his breathing, desperate to keep himself together. He needed to push in, bury himself completely in one fast stroke, but he didn't  _want_  to do that. He  _wanted_  this to be slow and thorough.    
  
But he wasn't the only one needing to feel and Iruka shifted his hips enough to tell him he needed more. So he pushed further, another inch, then pulled out. Not all the way, he stopped with just the tip still inside, then rocked forward again, gaining another couple of inches. "God, Ruka you're so tight." He panted with the effort it took to hold back like this. But it was so good and he knew that if he did give in that it would be over in a matter of a few strokes.   
  
Iruka's arms came up around him and he pulled him a little closer. Kakashi buried his face in the other man's neck, buying himself another moment to grab onto his quickly escaping control. He took another breath, then finally pushed the rest of the way in.    
  
"Oh God you feel good. Kash… Kakashi…" Iruka's hands moved over his back, his nails digging in when they came to rest at his waist, just above where his legs were wrapped. Kakashi moved his arms up so that they were wrapped around the other man's shoulders, his hands curved around them. He needed the closeness, though he refused to examine why.   
  
So instead, he focused on speaking, rather than the feel of the incredible body surrounding him. "I like Kashi…" he said, quietly.   
  
"Kashi… please…" it came out a whine and Kakashi knew that the other man was holding on just as carefully as he was. He pulled out slowly, then rocked back in just as slowly. He kept his strokes long, stretching the pleasure out as much as he could. He found the angle quickly that would rub against Iruka's prostate and he made sure to use it.   
  
But he couldn't do it long, they were both too far gone, too aroused. He sped up, no longer able to hold back. He reached between them to wrap his hand around Iruka's length and began stroking it. He couldn't match the rhythm, it was too erratic, too broken as close as he was. "Oh God, come, Ruka…"    
  
  
"I'm close, oh God, Kashi!" He dragged his nails up along the older man's back and it snapped the last of Kakashi's control. He pumped faster, thrust harder and a moment later, the copy nin surged into him, and his own body took over completely. He came, hard, barely registering the shout of his name when the other man lost it, too.    
  
He was too focused on his body shuddering, and shaking. His ass clenching around the other man's cock, his balls tightening, and his cock spasming as he shot his seed over both of them. "KASHI oh GOD! I'm… oh God I'm…" he couldn't speak coherently, his shouts turned wordless as the orgasm ripped through him.   
  
  
Kakashi was really only vaguely aware of the sounds and feel of the other man's body as it shook and shuddered. His own body nearly shattered with the force of his climax. He shouted Iruka's name and held on as the tremors tore through him, his muscles clenching, his entire body feeling like it was coming all at once.    
  
He slumped when it was over, resting his head on the other man's shoulder, stunned completely by what he just felt. He had never, in his life, felt like that before, he was sure of it. Oh he'd had good sex, but nothing anywhere in his memory came close.   
  
He swallowed hard, his heart still pounding, his breath coming in gasps. Iruka's arms and legs were still around him, holding him close and he realized he was wanting another first. He didn't want to go anywhere. He wanted to stay right there, for as long as he could. He'd always pulled out, cleaned himself up, maybe helped his partner, then they'd dress and go.    
  
But not this time. No, he didn't want to move at all. He'd have to, at least a little bit. Even if Iruka was close to the same size as him, he had to be heavy. He swallowed hard and leaned up. Their eyes met and held. He could see worry in the expressive face, a bit of fear and a whole host of other emotions that were undoubtedly warring for dominance in his head. It made him wonder what showed on his own face, if anything. He'd spent so many years suppressing his emotions, maintaining a passive face.    
  
He took a deep breath. It would be up to him, he knew, to take the next step or not. "I…" he swallowed again. "I don't want to go anywhere."


	3. Chapter 3

Iruka closed his eyes. He hadn't expected a declaration of love and he didn't know if he wanted one, anyway. He didn't know if he was ready to hear it. But he did know that the words that were said went through him and soothed the worst of his fears.  _Not_  a casual encounter, then, for either of them and that helped. "I don't want you to go."   
  
He swallowed around the lump in his throat and opened his eyes. He hadn't moved, was still inside of him and Iruka couldn't think of a single place in the world he wanted to be except right there. He watched the face above him carefully, fascinated by just how much was showing.   
  
He'd seen some of his own worry and confusion reflected back at him, though he was fairly certain the copy nin didn't realize it was there. He had no idea why it was, what he could possibly be thinking, but Iruka's own thought processes were still scattered all over the place, so he couldn't really figure it out right then, anyway. He needed to do something, though, so he ran his hands soothingly over the other man's back, and turned to put a soft kiss on the side of his face.    
  
The older man shifted a little, dropping a kiss of his own on Iruka. This one was slow, soft, very different from the ones before. When they broke apart, the younger man watched him look over his face again. "How about we go clean up then spend a bit more time in the spring?"   
  
Iruka swallowed and nodded, finding himself unable to speak. He released the other man, unwrapping his legs and Kakashi pulled out and stood. He held a hand out and the teacher took it, standing with him.   
  
He wasn't sure what he'd expected out of the shower. Maybe a quick scrub, a hurried wash down, but the other man insisted on washing him, slowly dragging the washcloth over his body, carefully bathing every bit of him. Iruka found himself doing the same in return and before they were out of the shower, they were both aroused again.    
  
They forgot the spring, forgot their intentions to just soak and a few moments later, they were back on the bed, need pushing them to go much faster this time. Iruka pushed the older man over and straddled him. He grabbed the bottle quickly and coated the other man's cock himself. Then he positioned himself and pushed down onto it. "Oh God,  _Kashi…_ " He moaned quietly. "You feel so good."   
  
"So do you, Ruka." Kakashi's voice was rough, his hands grasping Iruka's hips as he braced himself on the older man's chest. Despite their need, the insane arousal they both felt, he took his time, went slowly, lowering himself inch by inch. When he was finally seated, fully burying the other man inside himself, he paused. He flexed his muscles a little, savoring the feel of being filled. It  _had_  been quite a while since he'd even had a casual encounter and it felt incredible.   
  
He started moving, then, grateful that they'd already been together once, because he knew he could last a lot longer this time. It took him a bit to find the right angle, and it was Kakashi shifting that finally did it. But then his prostate was being hit and he couldn't think very well at all. He was leaning back, his hands on the older man's thighs as he rode him.    
  
But before too long, Kakashi's hands tightened on his hips. Their eyes met again and the copy nin tilted his head. Iruka climbed off and with a gentle nudge on his shoulder, figured out that the other man wanted him to bend over. He got settled into the new position and moaned when that wonderful cock slid into him again.    
  
Kakashi bent over him, wrapping his arms around the younger man's chest, pausing only to move his hair to one side. He kissed the cheek there and Iruka turned his head. Their lips met once more for another brief kiss, then he started moving. This, too, was slow, punctuated by kisses on his back or shoulders, his hands running over his chest or stomach. Finally, they made their way to his cock and the older man wrapped his hand around it and began stroking him.   
  
"Oh God…" He got lost in the sensations, the feel of the cock pumping into him, the sweat-slicked skin sliding over his own, the hand stroking his own hard length. "Kashi… oh God, I'm going to… no… not yet,  _please_ …" His cock was released and the other man slowed his pace a bit. He kissed his way over the younger man's back, then eased back and pulled out.   
  
Iruka turned to him and laid down, but Kakashi rolled him slightly to his side. He settled in, then his leg was lifted up to the other man's shoulder. Then the copy nin slid into him again and Iruka moaned loudly. He'd found just the right spot that hit that bundle of nerves over and over again. Not enough to make him come, but it felt so incredibly good.    
  
"Fuck, Ruka, this feels…" he couldn't seem to finish his thought. He pumped faster, thrust a little harder and Iruka couldn't keep the sounds contained.    
  
"Oh God, oh fuck…" If the other man kept this up, he was afraid he'd come anyway, just from that! That had never happened before, but he was getting so close, so incredibly close and he thought he was going to go crazy.   
  
But then he pulled out again and gently nudged the younger man onto his back. "I'd rather finish like this," he whispered, his lips meeting Iruka's again as he pushed into the other man one more time.   
  
The teacher's arms and legs came around him, holding him as close as possible and still allow him to move. Kakashi ran his hand down Iruka's arm, taking the hand, and threading their fingers together. He leaned up enough for their eyes to meet and he saw the fight for control on the older man's face. "Stroke yourself," he said quietly and Iruka wrapped his hand around his own cock.   
  
  
Kakashi desperately wanted the other man to finish first, this time. It had been an experience for both of them to come at the same time. That had its own place, but he wanted to feel, to experience, to see Iruka's climax. He moved a bit faster, shifted the angle just a tiny bit and was rewarded when those gorgeous chocolate eyes closed and the head tilted back as he got closer and closer.   
  
"Come, Ruka. Come for me," he whispered and it was like his words were what sent him over the edge.   
  
"KASHI! OH GOD!" He shouted, his muscles clamping down, his body shaking. His hand moved once, twice more and the thick ropes of his cum shot out over his chest, catching the copy nin, as well. It was a sight he would never forget and not just because the sharingan was open, either.   
  
It was all he needed, too. He thrust hard once more and let go of the last vestiges of his control. He came hard, his face buried in the younger man's neck. "Ruka… oh…" that was all he could get out as his seed exploded from him, filling the other man with his cum.   
  
When he came down from it, he squeezed the other's hand and placed gentle kisses on the neck under him. Iruka's other arm and his legs tightened around him and he turned his head a little, leaving his own kisses where he could. They stayed like that for a long time, neither willing to move or break it.   
  
Iruka swallowed, hard, fighting his emotions. His heart was still pounding and he hoped that Kakashi would attribute it to the sex they just had and not the things running through his mind. He wasn't going to admit it, not to himself and not to the other man. He couldn't, no way. He was  _not_  in love with this man.    
  
He was impossible, annoying, cocky, lazy, perverted…well, that last one wasn't so bad. No! Just.. no, he wouldn't do it. He swallowed again and took a deep breath, trying to get some kind of control.   
  
He squeezed his eyes closed, cradling the other man's body with his own. He didn't want to part, didn't want to get up because he didn't know what would show on his face. He was having trouble breathing that had nothing to do with Kakashi's weight on him and everything to do with his damned emotions. He had to get a grip.   
  
  
Kakashi felt the pounding heart, the short breaths. He recognized them for what they were because he thought he was going through the same damned thing. He couldn't possibly, nope, not him. He didn't do that, he didn't feel things like everyone else. He'd promised himself years ago that he wouldn't open himself up to that kind of thing. He conveniently ignored what he'd been thinking before he got into the spring that evening - that it was time to change that.   
  
He didn't know what he'd expected out of that night. The chance to get to know him a little better, maybe something lighter, something friendly when it came to sex. But he'd never expected him to respond to him the way he had, either. He'd never expected to see in those damningly beautiful chocolate eyes the emotions he did. The man's face was so expressive, Kakashi would have to have been blind to not see what he did.   
  
He'd never expected to respond himself to the things he did. The sound of his name from that voice laced with lust and need, the feel of the other man's body surrounding him, those lips… the way he seemed to completely lose himself to what they were doing. He could admit enough that he'd never felt like that before, with anyone. He was willing to recognize that there was something here between them that was nothing like any of his past experiences.   
  
He just couldn't put a name to it yet. He swallowed his confusion, his fears and his questions and lifted is face. Iruka's eyes were closed and Kakashi took a moment to watch him fight for control. They both needed some kind of distraction for the moment. He placed a gentle kiss on the other man's lips, just the lightest of touches.    
  
Iruka opened his eyes and their gazes met again. "How about that time in the spring now?" His voice wasn't as steady as he'd like it to be, but he couldn't do anything about that. Iruka didn't speak, he simply nodded his head.   
  
He reluctantly let go and eased out of the other man. He grabbed the small towel he had on his face earlier and gently wiped the younger man down, then cleaned himself off. Iruka blinked at him while he did it, perhaps a little surprised at that he would, but he said nothing, just tossed the towel near the bathroom and held out a hand.    
  
Iruka took it and they made their way in silence out to the spring. Kakashi stepped down into it, noticing the gingerly way that the younger man was walking. He cleared his throat. "I know a minor healing jutsu."   
  
The teacher blushed. "I'll, um, be fine, with a little time in the spring. It's just been a long time." His eyes closed and his color brightened when he said that, apparently not having wanted to admit to that, but the copy nin didn't say anything. He held his hand until he was down in the water.   
  
He settled in on the rock he'd been on earlier, then held his arm out for the younger man. Iruka hesitated very briefly, then sat on his lap. Kakashi wrapped his arms around the other man and pulled him as close as he could. Iruka laid his head on the copy nin's shoulder and snuggled in just a little bit.   
  
They didn't speak at first, simply enjoyed the feel of the other's body against them. The silence wasn't awkward at first, just comfortable. But as it stretched, it started to fray a little on Kakashi's nerves. He, the one who could sit for hours, days on end and do nothing but read was having trouble with the silence.   
  
He realized he wanted to know what the other man was thinking. Would he stay the night? Would he want more after this? And why the hell was it bothering him so much?   
  
His inner-self decided to help.  _Because you know you feel more for him than you're admitting to._   
  
Kakashi frowned at the thought. Did he? Was he really fooling himself that much?   
  
"Will you stay with me tonight?" He bit his tongue, annoyed that he'd let it slip out. He hadn't meant to.   
  
Iruka nodded, then backed that up with words. "Yes." He paused. "Kashi… what… what is this?" He heard the minor tremor, had a feeling it annoyed the younger man almost as much as he'd been annoyed with himself for asking.   
  
Nothing had gone like he thought it would that night. Oh, he'd gotten him in here, they'd had dinner - and even  _that_  had been a lot more than he'd expected. But everything after that… the sex, God, the sex! He'd thought maybe of just massaging him, spending more time in the spring. Actually  _talking_ . Instead, they'd made love.   
  
Kakashi's brain came to a screeching halt. Did he really just think that? Oh hell, he did. And he knew that there was no other way to describe what they'd done.    
  
"I'm… not sure what you mean. What is what?" He stalled.   
  
"Is this a… did we… I mean… fuck." The last word was muttered and he sighed, closing his eyes. Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle.   
  
That got him a glare from the teacher, but he just hugged him a little tighter. "I think I know what you mean and I honestly don't know." He paused. Better to get it out now, and if it's too much, then well, at least he came clean about it. "I have a confession to make."   
  
Iruka looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh?"   
  
He swallowed and bit his bottom lip. "Um, don't kill me, okay?"   
  
The younger man blinked once, slowly. "I'm not sure if I should make that kind of promise." Kakashi put on his best puppy dog look, the one that Pakkun had coached him on and Iruka laughed. "Wow, you're good at that."   
  
"It helps to be able to summon nin-ken." He grinned, grateful that things had lightened. "Please don't kill me?"   
  
Iruka sighed. "Okay, I promise not to kill you."   
  
He nodded and cleared his throat. "I set it up."   
  
A blank stare and a blink. "What? Set what up?"   
  
"Tonight. I set it up."   
  
"Which part?" He asked, his eyebrow going up again.   
  
"Well, pretty much all of it. I paid them to change the reservation and put me in the room instead. They knew about it."  _  
  
Both_  eyebrows went up. "You did? I thought something was odd that they'd 'lose' my reservation." He stared at him. "There's more, isn't there?" Kakashi bit his lip again and nodded. And to Iruka's complete surprise, there was even color on the copy nin's cheeks. "What else?"   
  
"Well, um, first off, I made sure I'd be home tonight and this weekend."   
  
"Okay, that's not bad." He paused. "What  _is_  bad, Kashi?"   
  
Kakashi noticed that it seemed to be getting easier for him to use the nickname. "Um, well, the mission reports…"   
  
"You didn't."   
  
The copy nin nodded. "I did. I had to make sure you'd follow through on your plan to come here."   
  
Iruka stared at him for a full minute. "I have no idea what to do with this. You went to all that trouble to get me here alone? Why?"   
  
"You turned me down. I figured you weren't about to accept if I asked again, so I had to come up with something."   
  
"And you figured that annoying me into a near rage to the point where I almost killed a fellow shinobi was a good idea? A good way to go about it?" Iruka shook his head.   
  
Kakashi looked sheepish. "I'm going to owe him lunch for a month for it."   
  
Iruka's lips twitched. "He deserves more." He shook his head again. "I can't believe you'd go to so much trouble. Why?"   
  
"Isn't it obvious?"   
  
"I… I don't want to make assumptions. But…" Iruka took a deep breath. The other man had said a lot, it was time for him to put something out there, too. "I've been attracted to you for a long time. When you asked me out the first time, I thought you were just toying with me to get me mad."   
  
Kakashi frowned. "I wouldn't do something like that."    
  
"I know that - now. But, well, I couldn't figure out what someone like you would want with someone like me." He shrugged.   
  
"Someone like me? Someone like you? What does that mean?" He raised an eyebrow, waiting.   
  
Iruka sighed. "You're… you. Kakashi Hatake, the famous Copy Ninja, the Man of a Thousand Jutsus, elite shinobi. You're handsome - though I guess not everyone knows that, you're… you," he finished lamely.   
  
Kakashi simply blinked at him. "I thought I was lazy, perverted, annoying…"   
  
"Cocky, aloof and insensitive. You know  _exactly_  why I said that," Iruka said, blushing.   
  
Kakashi blushed. "Yeah, I guess I do." Then he shook his head. "What's this 'someone like me' stuff?"   
  
Iruka sighed and tried to shift off of Kakashi's lap. Of course, he wouldn't let him, he simply tightened his arms instead. "I'm just me." He tapped the scar on his nose. "I'm not exactly the most attractive man in the village. I'm happy as a chuunin, teaching kids and working the mission desk. I like being the one to welcome the teams home. I don't want to take the jounin test, I don't want to be taken from the classroom."   
  
Kakashi smirked. "We'll deal with the attractive comment in a minute. Those other things just prove how good you  _are_ . There's nothing wrong with knowing what you want, where you want to be. We need people like you to teach the next generation. Look at Naruto. He tells us all the time that you're the biggest reason he's as strong as he is. Sakura credits you just as much."   
  
Iruka blushed. "I… I don't know what to say to that. I never thought of it that way."   
  
"As for welcoming the teams back, how many of our shinobi are alone? Have no family to come home to?"   
  
"A lot. Most of them, actually."   
  
"And every one of them comes home to see a smile and someone who is honestly glad that they made it back safely. Do you think that doesn't matter to them?'   
  
Iruka shrugged. "I guess I didn't think about that, either. But I know the times I go on missions what it's like if someone says that to me. But... It's… just what I do. I don't consciously decide that."   
  
"Which is even better." Kakashi shook his head. "Honestly, you're too hard on yourself."   
  
Iruka snorted at that. "And you're not?'   
  
The copy nin rolled his eyes. "I am not the subject of discussion here, you are."   
  
"I didn't think I'd get away with that." Iruka grinned.   
  
"I am a genius, you know." That was answered with a snort.   
  
"You can't be too much of a genius if you didn't know I was attracted to you."   
  
Kakashi shook his head. "That's different. And yes, you are a very attractive man. To me, you're the most attractive one in the village."    
  
Iruka's first reaction was to call bullshit on that, but the look on the other man's face was too serious. His breath left him and he just stared. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. "What are you saying?" He closed his eyes. "No, dammit, I'm not going to do this. I…" he took a deep breath and made the leap. "I think… I love you." His mouth snapped closed. There, he said it. He couldn't open his yes, couldn't see the reaction.    
  
If he  _had_ opened his eyes, he'd have seen the smile on the other man's face. If he had looked, he'd have known the happiness the copy nin was feeling in that moment. But he didn't, he simply sat there, bracing himself and waiting. There was a moment of silence, then, "I'm pretty sure I love you, too."   
  
Iruka's eyes flew open and he stared at the other man. "You… do?"   
  
Kakashi nodded. "Don't know when it happened, but… you had to realize that those God-awful mission reports I turned in had to be deliberate."   
  
"Well, yeah, I kind of figured that out. I thought it was just to get to me. Another method of torture." Iruka raised an eyebrow.   
  
The older man shrugged one shoulder. "Partially. You're cute when your face gets red and you're working so hard to control your temper." This got him an elbow to the ribs. "But it was  _mostly_  to give me an excuse to stay in the office longer. Hell, it's why I baited you so much."   
  
Iruka shook his head, then frowned. "We wasted time. Time that we don't know if we'll have."   
  
"I know. Maybe that's why it's easier for us to say these things now. But… we don't have to waste any more time." Kakashi said, meeting those deep brown eyes.   
  
"No, we don't." Iruka leaned in and their lips met again. This kiss was a promise, a reinforcement of the words they'd just said. Before long, their hands were everywhere, touching, memorizing again the smooth skin, the scars and muscles. Their mouths moved, lips nibbling, tongues tasting. Then Kakashi stood up, cradling the other man in his arms and climbed out of the spring.    
  
He paused, "are you… okay?"   
  
Iruka nodded. "Yes."   
  
"Good." He carried the younger man into the room and set him down long enough to pick up a towel and dry him off. He made quick work of his own wet body, then they were back on the bed.    
  
It was soft, slow, both determined to draw it out. Light kisses, gentle teasing, clasped hands and the simple need to touch. Kakashi was  _going_  to taste all of him this time, and he set about to make it happen. Every bit of skin on his chest, the whole length of his legs. This time, he even had him roll over, kissing and teasing his back, the line down his spine, the sensitive spots at the base of it. He covered that gorgeous ass with kisses until Iruka was moaning and moving in need.   
  
He wanted his own time to make the copy nin crazy. And so he sat up, then, pulling him to him for a long slow kiss. then he pushed him back onto the bed and set about his own explorations. He dragged his lips over the skin, finding all the spots that would make him moan or gasp. He, too, explored the other man's back, tracing the scars, learning the textures that made up his lover.    
  
He was surprised when his hand strayed down over the copy nin's ass that he raised it up into his palm. He moaned quietly when the younger man's fingers explored it, even brushing across his anus. Kakashi rolled slightly, Iruka's hand still on his ass and looked over his shoulder, eyes serious. "Do you want… me?"   
  
Iruka swallowed. Did he want to bury himself in that tight heat? Feel the other man surround him? Hell yes, but he never would have imagined that this man could or would be willing to do that. Taking a shaky breath, Iruka nodded. Kakashi grabbed the bottle of oil that was up near the head of the bed and sat up, handing it to him, then pausing to kiss him. "I have before, but it's been a very… very long time," he said to the unasked question in the brown eyes.   
  
Iruka stared at him absorbing the meaning behind that, then leaned up and returned the kiss, cupping the other man's cheek in one hand. "I love you."   
  
"I love you." Kakashi kissed him again, then turned back around and laid down.    
  
He was careful, very careful, to prepare him as much as he could. The older man was very tight and Iruka was so afraid of hurting him. It took a lot of trust to bottom to someone, and while Iruka had a trusting nature at heart, he knew this man did not. It spoke volumes about his feelings.    
  
He worked his fingers into him, stretching him as much as he could. It took a supreme effort to hold onto his control at the sounds that were coming out of the other man's mouth. Finally, he thought it was as good as it was going to get and he coated his cock thoroughly in the oil. He bent over the copy nin's back, kissing his shoulder, his neck, anything he could reach.    
  
Kakashi turned his head, kissing him as best as he could from that angle. Then Iruka spread the other man's cheeks and lined up carefully. The copy nin was watching him over his shoulder, so the younger man paused. "Are you sure?"   
  
The other man nodded, so he started to push carefully into the tight passage. Holy God, he felt good. He went slow, so careful, so afraid of hurting him, but finally he managed to get the head past the ring of muscle. He paused, gathering his control, taking a deep breath, then continued. "God, Ruka you can go faster, I'm not going to break."   
  
Iruka groaned. "No, but if I rush this, I'll finish too damned fast and I am  _not_  going to go off like some damned teenager. Patience, please!" He had no idea that he had his schoolteacher voice in that moment and Kakashi blushed. The copy nin made a note to see about playing around with  _that_  sometime.   
  
Abashed, the older man fell silent, holding his demands in. He could understand how hard it was to hold on, having felt it earlier himself. He closed his eyes, working to keep his sounds in, and finally,  _finally_  the other man was buried completely.   
  
"Fuck, that feels good," Iruka moaned. He gave himself a moment to gather his faltering control. Then he started moving, and Kakshi allowed his own sounds to come out.    
  
"Oh God, yes, Ruka, fuck, yes." He moved with him, meeting him thrust for thrust and despite the determination to make it last and draw it out, the feeling was too good. He'd found his prostate almost right away and Kakashi thought he was going to go crazy.   
  
"I'm not going to last," the younger man warned in a whisper against the other man's back. He wrapped his arm around the copy nin's waist and took the cock into his hand. He managed to match the rhythm, holding carefully to his control. It was only by paying so much attention to the other man that he was able to do so. "Oh God, Kashi." It was almost too much, he was so close.   
  
"I'm close, Ruka…" he moaned and the younger man sped up just a little bit.    
  
"Now, Kashi, come…" Iruka wasn't going to make it. He knew it, he'd never hold out. He squeezed his eyes shut, focused on the cock in his hand, on hitting that bundle of nerves and he was rewarded.   
  
"FUCK RUKA!" Kakashi shouted and Iruka felt that cock spasm, the warm fluid spill over it and the other man's ass clamp down as his climax took him.   
  
That was all it took and he came, too. He curled around the other man, thrusting one last time hard and let go, filling him with his cum. His orgasm was insane, stealing his breath, nearly shattering in its intensity. He held on to the other man as he rode it out, finally collapsing onto him as he came down from it.   
  
They fell to the bed, Iruka still curled around Kakashi, his arms tight around his waist, still buried inside. He dropped soft kisses on the neck and shoulder in front of him. The copy nin held tightly to the arm around him, placing his own kisses on the hand.    
  
They lay in silence for a long while, simply enjoying the feel of the other's body against their own. Finally, Kakashi moved and Iruka carefully eased out of him. The older man rolled to face Iruka and they resettled, tight up against each other, legs tangled. He reached up with one hand to brush the brown locks out of his face. "I love you." It was just a whisper, but the younger man heard it.   
  
"I love you." Iruka voice trembled a little with his words. It was getting easier to say and he wondered a bit at it. Was that too soon? Were they going too fast? Maybe. Maybe they were and maybe they weren't. He couldn't forget they were shinobi. Their lives so unsure, and he knew that if he wanted anything, he had to grab onto it. He already knew that this man didn't say this to just anyone. Had probably not said it in years, maybe even since he was a young child if the rumors about his life were true.    
  
His eyes traced the lines of the face in front of him, taking in each of the features, memorizing it the best that he could. He didn't have a sharingan to help him, he had to rely on his own memory. Memory that would be all he had to hold on to when this man was gone on missions and he was missing him insanely.   
  
He swallowed around the lump in his throat at just the thought of him going away and not coming back. A ghost of the grief he felt for his parents snuck in and he forcibly expelled it. He'd cross that when he came to it, if he ever did. He could hope and pray that his lover was just good enough that he never would need to come home in a body bag, that Iruka wouldn't have another reason to visit the memorial. He could hope that he'd have him for a very long time.   
  
"Such a serious face. What are you thinking, Ruka?" He ran his fingers down over Iruka's cheek, and the younger man closed his eyes.   
  
"I was just thinking about the fact that it feels a little fast. God, before dinner, I had no idea that you were even attracted to me. And now we're saying…  _that_ ."   
  
Kakashi nodded. "I know. But don't we, especially, know how fragile life is? How few chances we have to take what's out there? I… I know I let a lot of things slip away, pass me by. When I heard how you felt, I decided I couldn't let it happen again."   
  
Iruka's eyes opened and he considered the other man for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. I… was also thinking…" he sighed. "About what I'll be thinking when you're gone on missions. And if… if…" he closed his mouth, though, unable to finish.   
  
The arms around him tightened, a sigh escaping. "I wish I could promise that it wouldn't happen, but it could just as easily go the other way. It's not like you  _never_ go on missions."   
  
Iruka swallowed. "Yet again, I didn't think about it like that. I'm… sorry."   
  
"No need for apologies. I understand." His arms tightened again.    
  
They fell silent then, simply enjoying being together. Their fingers ghosted of each other's skin, over muscles and scars. Not to arouse now, but to learn, to remind, to memorize and to simply feel. But despite his attempts not to, a yawn escaped Iruka and the copy nin chuckled. "Looks likes it's time for bed for the teacher."   
  
Iruka glared. "I'm fine," he said, then had to fight another yawn. "Dammit."   
  
"Come on, let's clean up a bit, then we can just curl up again." Kakashi rolled away, leaving Iruka feeling a little bereft.    
  
"Fine." He sighed, and they made quick work of cleaning themselves before crawling under the covers.    
  
Kakashi pulled him up against him, wrapping his arms around the younger man. "I like you here."   
  
Iruka swallowed. "I like to be here."   
  
Kakashi dropped a soft kiss on the back of Iruka's neck and settled in. Neither remembered falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

When Iruka walked into the mission office the next day, he was whistling. Izumo, Kotetsu and Genma stared at him, all three jaws hanging down. He grinned at them. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"   
  
Kotetsu looked out the window at the pouring rain and gray skies. "Uh…"   
  
"I knew you'd agree." He passed the three of them up to get his tea. When he came back out a few minutes later, they were still standing, open mouthed, staring at him. "Gen, you're going to catch a fly that way," he said with a grin.   
  
The senbon-chewer's mouth snapped closed, Izumo snickered and Kotetsu blurted, "did you get laid?"   
  
Iruka simply chuckled in answer and settled in at his desk. He glanced over the open missions, noting that there were very few left to give out. Which meant that they'd be getting the return reports soon instead.   
  
The silence in the room was deafening as the other three shinobi tried to figure out what put Iruka in such a good mood. It was true he usually came back from Valentine's Day calmer and not quite ready to kill, but he was  _never_  whistling, _never_  this happy. Izumo punched Kotetsu, who stopped ogling and they went back to their own desks, but Genma continued to stare.   
  
Iruka sighed and turned to him. "Is there something you need?"   
  
Genma just blinked and glanced at the other two who were very studiously avoiding looked at him. "Uh, no. No. Nothing. Um, yes, beautiful day."   
  
"It is, isn't it?" Iruka said and went back to his paperwork. He went over the few mission reports that had already been turned in but not checked and just as he was about to finish them, the door opened.   
  
One of the new genin teams came in, dripping wet. Neji Hyuuga herded them to the side and grabbed the report form and a pen. When one of the boys on his team started whining, he turned and glared in silence and the boy shut up. Iruka  _almost_ felt sorry for him. He'd always been a bit of a whiner, which is why he  _almost_  felt sorry for him. He was a little surprised to see the Hyuuga as a team leader, but figured after all he'd done through the invasion and the war, he was probably more than qualified.   
  
He finished writing things out and brought the report up to the counter, hesitating very briefly before handing it to Iruka. The entire room seemed to pause and hold their breath as the report was passed across the desk. Iruka picked it up and looked it over, then smiled brightly up at the younger man. "Good work, thank you very much for your help today!" He stamped the report and laid it in the completed box.   
  
Seven sets of eyes stared and Iruka looked from one person to the next with raised eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Of course not."   
  
"Not at all"   
  
"Thank you." Neji said, lavender eyes wide and turned back to his team. "Let's go," he said, motioning to the door.   
  
"Bye, Iruka-sensei!" Three genin called all of which who seemed more anxious to be out in the rain then in the room with them.    
  
Iruka shook his head. He knew he was a  _little_ cheerier than he normally might be for the day after that horrid holiday, but he didn't think he was  _that_  different.   
  
He didn't have a lot of time to mull it over because the teams started trickling in then, anxious to have their missions finished and get out of the rain. He went over the reports, pointed out in what he thought was a reasonable manner when they needed to be corrected and only outright rejected a few. Everyone approached him as if he were dynamite and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Even so he was still a little confused when there was a lull and the other three were still very quiet.   
  
"What is wrong?" He finally asked again.   
  
"Nothing," Kotetsu said.   
  
"Um, everything's fine," Izumo muttered, refusing to look at him.   
  
"Forget it." Iruka said, sighing again, then really did forget it when the door opened again and Kakashi came in. If the other three were shocked by his good mood up to that point, they were completely stunned when they saw his reaction to the copy nin. "Hi," he said, his smile wide, color staining his cheeks.    
  
They looked from Iruka to Kakashi and saw the happy curve of the visible eye and the bit of blush above the mask and six eyebrows went up. He approached Iruka's counter and leaned on it. "Hi. How's the day so far?"   
  
"Relatively tame for once. Have you gotten lost yet?"   
  
Kakashi chuckled. "Just did. I think they'll understand that I didn't stay long. It's… a little wet out there. "   
  
"Yes, I noticed."   
  
"So, when do I get you for dinner?" Kakashi asked and both of them ignored the three gasps they heard at the question.   
  
"I'll take a break at five."    
  
"Ramen?" Kakashi asked and Iruka grinned.   
  
"Did you really have to ask that?"   
  
The copy nin laughed. "No, I guess not. Okay, well, I'll let you get back to work. Try not to kill anyone today."   
  
Iruka grinned. "I'm not feeling remotely murderous for some reason."   
  
That got him another laugh. Then to  _his_  complete surprise, Kakashi bent toward him and placed a kiss on him through the mask. "I love you," he whispered into the teacher's ear.   
  
"I love you," he whispered back, then stood up. "I'll see you at five."   
  
"Okay." He turned toward the door and threw a wave over his shoulder. "Bye!"   
  
Iruka grinned at the other three. "Yes, we're together. Yes, he's the reason I'm in a good mood today. And that's  _all_  the rumor mill is getting, Shuranui Genma. Now, don't we have work to do?"   
  
The other three scrambled back to their paperwork.    
  


* * *

  
Tanaka-san grinned at the two in front of her. "I'm so glad to welcome you back! It's not the holiday, so what is the special occasion?"   
  
"Oh, just some quiet time. I've been gone for a while." Kakashi said, smoothly.   
  
The clerk nodded. "Well, that's certainly a good reason to celebrate and we're glad you've chosen to do so with us."   
  
"Well, we still owe you for the… um… Valentine's Day… thing." The copy nin blushed, but the clerk just laughed.   
  
"It's quite alright. I'm glad things worked out!" She checked the book again, then turned around and pulled a key off of the board behind her. "Here you go. Room 7. Shall I send in dinner?"   
  
"Please. Sake and the oils?"   
  
"Of course. Enjoy!" The clerk beamed and the two men turned toward the hallway.   
  
Kakashi was nervous again, just like he'd been the first time he'd been here with Iruka. He shouldn't be, he had a feeling he knew how the night would go, but he couldn't seem to help it. They showered together and the "quick" turned into "long and slow" but they finally managed to leave the bathroom.    
  
They went out to the spring, Iruka insisting that they get  _some_  use out of it because if all they were going to do was stay in bed, they could have done that at one of their apartments. Kakashi rolled his eyes, but didn't argue it.   
  
It was August fifteenth. Six months since that incredible night and Kakashi had found himself a little antsy lately. Well, maybe that wasn't quite right, but he'd found himself simply wanting more. His last mission, which had lasted near a month and took him near a port city had given him an idea.    
  
They settled into the water, Iruka once more on Kakashi's lap. He spent a lot of time there, at least right after the longer missions one of them went on. And that was just fine for both of them. When they'd been apart for a while, all they wanted to do was touch. Reassure themselves and each other that they were there and whole and okay.    
  
Iruka himself had been gone on a fairly long mission earlier in the summer and Kakashi had found himself going more than a little insane. He'd certainly gained a new respect for what Iruka went through when he was gone. And an even greater appreciation for reunion sex.   
  
They spent their time in the water kissing and touching. Relearning the feel of the other person, their textures and tastes. They took their time, going slowly, drawing it out. They knew that dinner would interrupt them and so they weren't surprised when the knock came a short while later.   
  
Iruka moved over to the natural bench and Kakashi climbed out of the spring. He was glad when the younger man closed his eyes and rested his head against the side so he could take care of something quickly. He opened the door and stepped aside for the server to set out their food. He tipped him and waved as he left. "Ruka. Come eat, baby."   
  
Iruka opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Baby?" His lips twitched in amusement.   
  
"What? I can't use a term of endearment?" He feigned hurt.   
  
Iruka laughed. "I just haven't heard you use it before."   
  
Kakashi rolled eyes. "Come on, let's eat. I'm hungry." He turned to the table and swallowed hard, working to calm his nervousness as he sat down.    
  
Iruka took his spot, this time right next to Kakashi instead of across from him as they'd been the last time they were there. They need to be close still very fresh. He settled down on his cushion, then stopped dead and stared.   
  
He glanced from his plate up to his lover and back to his plate again. He swallowed hard and reached out with a shaking hand. He lifted the item up and glanced once more at Kakashi, paying attention to the way he bit his bottom lip, the fact that his sharingan was open. Iruka swallowed around his suddenly dry throat and opened the box slowly, already knowing what was inside.   
  
A pair of simple gold wedding bands. "Kashi?" He was having trouble breathing.   
  
"Marry me, Ruka."   
  
Iruka stopped breathing all of a sudden. He stared for another moment at the rings, then looked up at the other man. Marry. Marriage. He was having a very hard time wrapping his mind around this.    
  
He'd known something was up. He'd thought maybe he'd want them to move in together or something. He'd known when the copy nin had suggested this that there was more to it than a simple reunion and relaxation. He touched one of the bands with the tip of his finger.   
  
He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Why the hell not? What was he afraid of? But as soon as the question formed in his mind, he knew the answer to that. But would the grief be any different, any worse just because he had a wedding ring on? No, it wouldn't. Losing him would damned near kill him no matter what jewelry he wore. He looked up at his lover again. "Yes."   
  
Kakashi's face split into a huge grin and pulled him in for a kiss. When they broke apart, he said, "when I was on my mission, I heard about a tradition that's kind of common down there. When they get engaged, instead of a specific engagement ring or something, they wear their wedding bands on the right hand. And then when they actually get married…"   
  
"They move them over. I think I read about that." Kakashi took the box with the rings in it from Iruka and took one of them out. He glanced up at his lover, who gave him his right hand. The younger man couldn't miss the slight tremor he felt as the copy nin slipped the ring onto his finger. When it was in place, Kakashi lifted his hand and placed a soft kiss on his finger.    
  
Iruka took the other one out and pushed it onto the other man's finger, staring at it a moment. "Wow, we're… holy…" he shook his head, still floored, "why is it that I have so much trouble talking when things like this happen?"   
  
Kakashi shook his head. "I have no idea, Mr. Hatake."   
  
Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Who says I'm taking your name? Maybe you should take mine?"   
  
Kakashi's lips twitched. "Uh oh. Maybe we'll just have to forget about it."   
  
"The hell we are. You're committed now."   
  
"Yes, maybe I should be committed."   
  
Iruka fought very hard to keep a straight face, but he lost it after only a few seconds. Kakashi joined him after trying to look hurt, which only made his lover laugh harder. When they finally calmed down, Iruka's smile faded. "I'll do it. I'll take your name. I don't care. My mom and dad know that I love them."   
  
"Hell, keep your name, I don't care, either. As long as you're married to me."   
  
"Well, that will definitely happen." Iruka said, chuckling. He leaned over and their lips met again in a long slow kiss, sealing their new promises.   
  
"So," Kakashi said as they sat up and turned to their food, "is it safe to say you don't hate Valentine's Day anymore?"   
  
Iruka shook his head. "No, I think it's a safe bet that it's not the worst day of the year anymore."   
  
"Really? What is?" Kakashi asked as he poured sake for each of them.   
  
"Well, I could get really sappy and say something like, 'any day you're not home' but it's really more like any day I'm stuck on desk duty with the new lovebirds."   
  
Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "Lovebirds?"   
  
"Ko and Zumo. They finally figured out that there's more than friendship between them."    
  
Kakashi winced. "Oh."   
  
"Yeah, they try really hard, they do. But they're constantly looking at each other, blushing like mad. Until just yesterday when I told them to go back to the damned supply room and get it  _out_  of their system so they'd actually get work done."   
  
"You didn't." Kakashi raised his eyebrows.   
  
Iruka nodded. "I did. And I was very glad for the three doors between the main room and the supply room. And for the fact that the main room was empty. I could still hear sounds all the way out at the desk." He blushed a little at the memory.   
  
Kakashi blinked. "Wow. We're not even that loud."   
  
Iruka laughed. "Ha! I bet my neighbors wouldn't agree."   
  
Kakashi snickered. "Maybe not." He picked up his sake cup and found himself staring at his ring.    
  
Iruka blushed, his own attention drawn to the one on his finger. He'd never thought he'd get married. He cleared his throat. "So, what kind of wedding do you think we can get away with?"   
  
"I'd marry you in the Hokage's office, if I thought we could manage it."   
  
Iruka blinked. "Why couldn't we? And for the record, that sounds good to me, too."   
  
Kakashi shrugged. "Well, I'm just afraid our friends would find a way to sabotage our honeymoon or our new home or something to get back at us for not letting them attend."   
  
Iruka frowned. "I guess you're right. Damn. Well, let's see what we can get away with. Maybe if I draft Kurenai to help, she can organize something nice without it being overdone. She seems to have a talent for that kind of thing. We'll insist on a simple reception at the Kunai or something, though. Just drinks and cake. I am  _not_ putting up with a formal dinner." Iruka shuddered.   
  
Kakashi laughed. "I never thought I'd be the one more interested in the wedding than you."   
  
"Did you want more?" Iruka asked with a raised eyebrow.   
  
Kakashi shook his head. "I think that'll be fine. Appropriate for the shinobi, anyway."   
  
They talked wedding plans over dinner, both of them occasionally distracted by their rings. When the sushi was gone, the reunion started for real and both men got lost in each other for the rest of the night.   
  


* * *

  
The Hatake-Umino wedding was the  _only_  topic of discussion for the next month. The fact that the great Copy Ninja and  _the_  most popular teacher at the academy were getting married was nothing short of a miracle. Not because they were both men, that had already happened when Genma and Raido had tied the knot the year before.   
  
No, no, the ever aloof, perverted, lazy shinobi was marrying a schoolteacher. One who had given him hell for  _years_  about reading his porn in public - though no one would admit to the fact that they couldn't remember the last time they'd seen him with one in his hand. No, the person he was marrying was none other than the very one who chewed him up and spit him out in front of the chuunin exam committee.   
  
They'd managed to convince Kurenai to keep it all very simple. They held the ceremony at the temple, and Genma stood with Iruka and Yamato stood with Kakashi as they jokingly promised not to kill each other. After the laughter died down, they promised instead they would love, honor and cherish each other for as long as they lived. That last line hung heavy in the air for a moment over the assembled crowd because there was always the thought that that might not be very long at all. A few furtive glances were sent Kurenai's way, but she sat with dry eyes, Asumaru in her lap, her attention fixed on the couple in front.   
  
Their rings were then moved to the other hand, Kakashi pulled his mask down in front of the entire roomful of people and kissed his new husband. Then, to make it even  _more_  shocking, he'd  _left_  it down when they turned and left the temple. The entire assembly sat in stunned silence for a solid two minutes before it broke out in deafening noise and they jumped up to follow the couple out.   
  
The reception at the Kunai was typical of any shinobi gathering. The alcohol flowed freely and everyone got more than a little crazy. Cake was cut and passed out. The main couple fed each other, of course making a mess of it and money was changed hands when Kakashi was the one with more cake on his face than his husband.   
  
Shortly after that, the music was turned up. At one point Genma started offering table dances. That wasn't too bad except he was stripping while he did so. He, in fact, got all the way down to his boxers before Raido collected him.    
  
Anko set up in one corner and started playing cards. She cleaned out every one of the younger chuunin who hadn't yet learned of her shark-like card playing skills. Iruka yelled at her over the chuunin but let it go when she split the winnings she got from the jounin who played and should have known better. She had no idea she'd just gotten suckered out of money herself since Iruka had only yelled at her in the first place, knowing she'd pay up to shut him up. He chuckled all the way back to his husband.   
  
Kotetsu and Izumo were walked in on no less than six times in various places, states of undress and sexual positions. Tsunade was one of them and she watched for so long it took Shizune pulling her back out of the broom closet -- where she'd wandered in her drunken state, looking for the bathroom -- before the other two even realized what was going on. Kakashi had caught them the last time and threatened to record their entire sex session and sell tickets to put other people in a genjutsu to watch it if they didn't behave themselves. They'd scrambled to put themselves back together then and managed to be  _reasonably_  good for the most part for the rest of the night.   
  
Gai kept trying to challenge Kakashi to different contests until Iruka got between them and told him that he was  _not_  risking his honeymoon being messed up. And he could stop trying to challenge his husband or the green beast would deal with  _him_ . It was very funny to see the mighty Maito Gai back down from the schoolteacher. He hung his head with a blush and muttered an apology.   
  
Then there were the former students who had to congratulate Iruka. Naruto made a loud and long speech about how he was so strict and mean and scary until Kakashi poked him and asked him if he had anything  _good_  to say about his former teacher. The blond had blushed profusely and went on to talk about how nice and sweet he was and how much he took care of him and finally, when he couldn't seem to take a hint to stop, Sakura slapped a hand over his mouth and simply dragged him away.    
  
Tsunade, after way too many bottles of sake tried to make a number of bets on the couple. Including things like how long the marriage would last and how many times they'd have sex on their honeymoon, how long it would be before they ended up killing each other, who was top, and whether or not Kakashi could get Iruka to act out parts of  _Icha Icha_ . The betting pools started quickly from there, but no one could figure out how they could verify the one about the number of times they'd have sex on their honeymoon. Especially since both men assured them that they wouldn't tell unless they got a cut of the money.    
  
Kotetsu and Izumo - who were handling the pool - actually considered it and after a few more words of encouragement, the money started rolling in. Iruka and Kakashi laughed because they were fairly certain  _none_  of the numbers were going to come close. They'd be gone for a full week and the highest number that appeared by the end of the night was twenty five. Except for one person who wouldn't give their name publicly, who listed a thousand. Iruka looked little green at that number and Kakashi just grinned. That spawned more bets over the top and bottom pool.   
  
All in all, though the most disturbing part of the evening was when Ibiki actually got drunk and started trying to dance. A striptease dance. On the bar. He managed to get his shirt off and was lowering his pants when Anko, Kurenai and Yamato managed to get him down off the bar. It was a major struggle because the scarred man was convinced the song that was playing - "I'm Too Sexy" was really written about him and he just  _had_  to dance to it.   
  
The reception finally wound down sometime after midnight. Kakashi and Iruka had already escaped, on their way to a non-disclosed location for their honeymoon with promises to keep track of the number of times they had sex. They also made a deal that they'd answer some of the  _other_  questions if they'd be left alone and not followed.    
  


* * *

  
Much, much later, as they sank into the water at the hot springs resort, Kakashi sighed. "Well, Mr. Hatake, I think that was a success."   
  
"Yes, yes, I think it was," Iruka groaned as he stretched his muscles in the hot water. "I think we can feel fairly safe that we've satisfied the natives."   
  
Kakashi laughed. "They do act like that sometimes, don't they?   
  
Iruka laughed. "Yes, they do. Especially Ko and Zumo, good grief, they couldn't get through  _one night_ ?"   
  
"Really. We weren't even that bad." Kakashi said, then chuckled at the snort of derision from his husband. "I recorded it anyway."   
  
"You didn't!"   
  
"I did. I thought it would be nice blackmail if we needed it sometime. Or, you know, maybe a way to lure them in for a night of perversions." He wagged his eyebrows up and down.   
  
Iruka laughed. "You really are a pervert."   
  
"Yup. And you love it."   
  
"Yes, yes I do." Iruka shook his head. He paused. "You know, they may be fun." He said with a grin and laughed at the look on Kakashi's face.    
  
"You're going to kill me."   
  
Iruka laughed again. "Naw, I want you around for a while yet. Besides, none of the bets for your demise happen on our honeymoon. They all give us at least a month."   
  
"Oh yes, I'd hate to disappoint the betting pools." He shook his head.   
  
Kakashi stared at his wedding ring for a moment, then said, quietly, "well, I think that was probably the best day of the year so far."   
  
"I don't know," Iruka said and Kakashi raised his eyebrows.   
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Yes." Iruka said decisively. "I'm thinking of one other that beats it  _just_  a little."   
  
"Which day is that?" Kakashi asked.   
  
"Valentine's Day."   
  
Kakashi blinked at him in surprise. "I know it's not the worst anymore, but the best?"   
  
Iruka nodded. "Yup. It's the day we got together."   
  
Kakashi shook his head. "You've got a point there." He chuckled. "Before you, I would never have thought that."   
  
Iruka grinned. "Me either, but I'm saying it. Valentine's Day  _was_  the best day of the year."


End file.
